Generator
by VogueWriters
Summary: Tilly didn't know what she was getting into when she opened those doors, but it was better than HYDRA. A story about healing together.
1. Chapter 1

"What the fuck do you mean you can't deliver there?"

The rep at the other end of the phone stammered out "Well ma'am, it's actually a banned location..we…erm…"

Tilly didn't let him finish "The place is only a 35-minute drive from where me, I might as well drive there myself if your sad excuse for a delivery company won't!" she slammed the phone down. Pinching the bridge of her nose she took a deep breath, trying to relax.

"You'd think a delivery company could deliver things but nooo…." Squeezing her eyes and releasing her fingers she brought up the drive on her phone again. It was a few miles out of the city, and in the midday traffic it shouldn't take her too long. Grabbing her coat, Tilly left for the front door.

The delivery in question was a small green box with a wall socket in the side, about the size of a Rubix cube. It was black, and heavier than you might expect. A label on the side read "The Generator". Tilly had been selling them on her online store for around two years and marketed them as being able to "charge a phone to full for 5 years". Some interested parties had asked to buy the business, but she had declined. After all, no one else would be able to make them.

Climbing into her low car, Tilly angrily plugged in the address to the built in GPS. "Sodding company.. have to do everything myself…" Still muttering, she pulled off from the curb and began her drive to the mysterious banned location. The buyer, PhilanthropistBoy69, had actually seemed somewhat eager at the idea of a home delivery, even though there was no way she would divulge how she actually made the little miracles of power.

Quintilla Atherson, or Tilly as she preferred, had not actually existed until 3 years ago. She had made a good story up, forging birth certificates, citizenship, diplomas and even parent's death certificates. It was a lot of work, but unfortunately a requirement when you are an ex HYDRA experiment. Tilly now lived on the upper east side, in a loft style apartment and made her money through her sale of Generators. At $3000 each, they didn't come cheap, but so far, she only had happy customers. Before she became Tilly however, she had a much less idyllic life. The thoughts of that life came rushing back as she realised where her GPS was taking her. A silver building surrounded by green hills came into view, and on one spire a very noteworthy symbol – a large capital A. Tilly's mouth dropped open.

"Oh my god"

Her mystery buyer was in the Avengers building it seemed, no wonder it was a banned location. She was surprised her buyer even gave the real address. She pulled up to the nearest empty park and turned off the engine. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her thoughts. If this was an ambush, it was a poor one. Everyone knew that Captain America had a special place in hell for HYDRA, so no way they'd risk a fight here. But then again, maybe that's exactly what they wanted her to think. Rather than mull it over any further, Tilly moved briskly out of the car and into the cold air, placing the Generator in her pocket as she went.

_If they want a fight, they'll get one _she thought, opening her hand to a small green light, which she quickly extinguished.

Smiling to herself, she opened the glass door to the Avengers base.


	2. Chapter 2

Generator Chapter 2

The glass door opened with a muted whisper. Tilly stepped through into a surprisingly open space, with a ceiling as high as a cathedral and a shiny tiled floor. Various people milled around in suits, with many congregating around the bank of elevators on the north side. To her right, there was what looked like a chrome pod with two receptionists. A small line formed behind both, and Tilly took it upon herself to join the nearer one.

She fidgeted with the box in her hand. While it was a kind of privilege to be here, it was an unnerving one. There was too much glass, too many balconies and open spaces to make her feel safe. It was clear that the design had been one of trend and beauty, rather than the stout and defensive structures she had become accustomed to. As she looked around, the line slowly moved forward and she soon found herself looking down at a cheery young blonde in what seemed to be a prohibitively short skirt.

"How can I help you today?" She smiled

Tilly gestured to the box. "Uh yeah, I have a Generator for a buyer here"

The blonde looked confused "A Generator…?"

Tilly swallowed "Yeah from an online sale, I can give you the screen name, one sec"

Just as she was bringing up the email on her phone, the other receptionist, a brunette, lent across.

"Yes, we were expecting you, do you mind waiting in room 1.04? It's to the right of the elevators"

"Can I not just leave it with you?" Tilly asked

"No I'm afraid our instructions were clear ma'am" The brunette replied, smiling kindly.

Sighing, Tilly made her way to the room. This was really taking much longer than she wanted, not that she had much on today. Probably just more Arrested Development reruns. But unfortunately, she had agreed to cash, so now she was stuck here until the buyer graced her with their presence. There was something else in the back of her mind that told her something was not quite right, but she couldn't place it. Probably just nerves from finally being out of the apartment.

The room seemed to be some kind of meeting room, with a small circular table and three chairs, two opposite the other. Tilly sat herself down in the single chair and place the Generator on the table. Hopefully whoever she was waiting for wouldn't be too long, as she tapped her foot absently.

Despite seeming restless, Tilly had calmed down quite considerably since her daring escape from HYDRA. She had been captive there for nearly a decade, before being sold off to another company named Baine Power. It was in the 6-hour transit to her new captors that she had finally been able to get free. The armoured moving truck had blown a tyre and allowed a small crack to form in the lead suit she was forced to wear. That was all it took for Tilly to push out enough nuclear energy to level a small town and escape through the carnage. She had run for days before finally stopping and rebuilding the shamble of her life from the ground up.

A knock at the door shook her out of her daydream. Tilly looked up as two muscled up men in suits entered.

"Are you the one with the Generator?" asked the uglier one.

She was definitely getting a bad feeling now.

"Are you my buyer?" she asked

The men exchanged glances. "Yes we are"

"Ok" she said. "$3000 in cash please"

Neither moved, and the bad feeling got worse.

Tilly began to stand up. "Look I think I'll just go, I must have the wrong address" She started the small green light in her hand again, turned out of their sight. That was the wrong move.

A machine in the uglier one's pocket began to click crazily. _Oh no, Geiger, SHIT. _"It's her!" he yelled and before she could raise her arm, a needle slided into her neck and she was out like a light.


	3. Chapter 3

Generator Chapter 3

Tony was happy. Screw that, he was ecstatic. Pepper had slept in with him and they'd had breakfast together, Bruce had fangirled with him over a new Arc prototype and now he was meeting the elusive creator of the Generator cube.

Tony had first become aware of Generators when Nat had bought him one for his birthday a few months ago. Since then, he had marvelled at how this self-sufficient cube could power things as long as it could. It far outstripped even the reactor that powered his suits, and so far, he was no closer to understanding it. He knew that on the outside was around 2cm of pure lead, so it was fair to say anything inside was radioactive. At that scale, he couldn't risk opening it without getting radiation poison, or worse causing a chain reaction.

His curiosity had gotten the better of him, and now he was skipping down the sweeping staircase to meet the creator herself. He knew that it was unlikely he would get more than a hint at what it was, but if Tony could be anything, it was convincing.

He strode up to the blonde receptionist with a 100-watt smile. "Rachel, has our lovely guest arrived?"

Rachel blushed "Yes she's here Mr Stark, room 1.04"

"Thanks Rach" he winked at her as he trotted off to the meeting room.

Still smiling, Tony pushed the door open with a flourish. "Thank you so much for join…."

He frowned. The room was empty.

"FRIDAY, where is my guest?"

"Records show she has already been collected Mr Stark"

"What do you mean? By who?"

"Unknown. Showing playback"

A video popped up on Tony's glasses. It showed a short, pale woman with shock white hair lounging in the seat he was looking at. She said something as two burly men entered the room. Something else was said, and suddenly one plunged what looked like a needle into her neck. She collapsed to the floor, and they dragged her inelegantly out the back door.

Tony winced. "Ah shit. Do you have a track on the vehicle?"

"Of course sir, they are travelling towards the airport"

Tony put his head in hands "Fuck, alright. Get everyone in the war room now."

Tony might make a mess, but he'd be damned if he didn't clean it up.

Bucky wasn't sure why he'd been summoned from his room. He had only been in the tower for a few weeks, after he'd been cleared to leave Wakanda. His relationship with Tony was still somewhat uncomfortable, but they were putting up with each other. He couldn't really blame him for being unwilling, it wasn't the best of situations.

One thing that Bucky was grateful for, was Steve. Not only had he stood up for him when no one else would, he was the only one who understood what it meant to be a man out of time.

It was Steve who gave him a smile and a nod when Bucky sat down at the table in the war room. Standing beside him was Agent 13, Sharon Carter. Bucky hadn't been alone in noticing she was in the Avengers living quarters more and more. It made sense, he thought, in todays crazy and messed up world you wanted someone to come home to more than ever. Not to mention, it seemed to really improve Captain Americas general demeanour. He'd even participated in the weekly Monopoly game, although he didn't seem to fully understand the aggressive capitalism required. Bucky had avoided most of the social activities so far, not sure where he stood in this new world. It didn't help that he'd tried to kill half the people here at some point.

Everyone had arrived in the room, and a haggard looking Tony stood up. "Let me start by saying this isn't my fault."

Bucky saw Steve raise an eyebrow.

"So, I invited the creator of this little power cube thing here, and long story short she's been abducted"

"She got abducted from here? How?" said Rhodey.

"Some muscled guy stuck a needle in her" Tony replied sheepishly.

Bucky perked up at that.

"Do we know where they are now?" asked Natasha

"FRIDAY is tracking them, they're heading to the airport. This is the security camera in the room"

The large screen behind him flickered to life. It showed a slim woman in casual clothing looking bored, with a cube in her hand.

Bucky stood up. He knew that face, he was certain.

"Buck?" Steve looked at his friend, concerned. Bucky's eyes were fixed on the screen.

The room was silent.

"I know her"

"Who is she?" That was Tony, anxiety clear in his tone.

Bucky looked down. Who was she? The face was so familiar, and he could nearly remember, but whenever he tried to reach for it, it wasn't there. Bucky internally cursed HYDRA for screwing over his mind as much as they did. Who was she?

Something came to him, a number, a label, a name.

"Do a search for X64 on the HYDRA dump"

Tony started typing rapidly "We've got a hit"

Bucky looked back up at the screen. There she was, a mugshot style picture with a small blurb. At the top in block letters it read "PROPERTY OF BAIN POWER. DO NOT APPROACH"

Tony responded to that. "Bain Power? As in Lance Bain?"

"Aren't they your competitor?" asked Natasha

"Yes, but what do they want with this HYDRA experiment?"

"Maybe the same thing that you do" said Bruce.

Tony shut up then.

"I'm assuming we're not ok with this Bain person owning a HYDRA experiment?" asked Natasha.

"No" said Steve. "We need to go get her" he looked pointedly at Bucky.

Bucky was still staring at the monitor. Bits and pieces of memories were coming back to him, but nothing that made sense. He was frustrated at his addled mind, why couldn't he remember who this was?

Bucky looked back at Steve. "Yes"


	4. Chapter 4

Generator Chapter 4

Tilly began to slowly open her eyes. She had a throbbing headache, and there was a familiar, oppressing weight all over her body. She tried to wiggle her fingers. Nope, no room. Toes? No room either. She groaned and lifted her head up.

Tilly was strapped to a frame on a 45 degree angle from the ground, with straps secured at her wrists, ankles, knees and waist. She had a thick white suit on, which she knew from the weight (and lack of strength she had) contained lead. A glass bubble encircled her, and outside she could just make out various consoles and desks. A small army of various people in white coats scurried around, pressing buttons and checking monitors. Ugly fluorescent lights hung from overhead and above what looked like observation balconies.

"We are so glad you are finally awake" came a slimy voice to her left

Tilly snapped to attention. She knew that voice.

"Hello again X64"

The man who stepped towards the glass was tall and looked to be about 50 years old. He wore a dark smooth pressed suit, with a striking red tie. He was looking at her the way a cat might look at trapped mouse.

"Baine" she breathed. Lance Bain, the energy mogul of the east coast. Her current proprietor, both in writing and now, reality.

"That's right. You thought you could leave that much mess without retribution?" An unkind smile creased his wrinkled skin.

"A girl can dream"

Bain pursed his lips together. "You know, you cost me a large sum of money, something that I intend to rectify today"

Tilly was careful to keep her expression blank "So, let me guess, I'm here to provide power for your stupid company"

"Exactly. And this time…" He pressed his face to glass, and Tilly reflexively flinched back.

"…there will be no interruptions"

Tilly stared straight at him, refusing to break eye contact.

"Hm" he half chuckled. "Goodnight X64, it shall be some time before we speak again." Another soulless smile, and he turned smartly on his heel towards the consoles.

Tilly's eyes followed him until she could no longer make him out. She was well and truly screwed now.

In each cell of Tilly's body was a small amount of deuterium, a chemical used in the process of nuclear fusion. At will, she could "load up" each cell and provide a small amount of energy. As a result, she didn't need to eat or drink. It also had the interesting side effect of allowing her to create radioactive energy outside her body, which she had used on a few occasions. The process to insert the chemical had been...uncomfortable. So far, she had only used enough power to keep her alive, bumping it up for running and the karate classes she had begun taking. Even the hardest day at the dojo, she had only used the energy provided from her little finger. She wasn't sure how much power she could provide with every cell in her body active, but with 30 trillion cells in the average human it's safe to say it could serve Bain Power for the foreseeable future.

A silver headset lowered mechanically over her face as electrodes came out from behind her. They were silver cylinders, about 10cm long each, and each was connected to a wire that flowed to somewhere behind her. They snaked out as if alive and connected to various parts of her suit. She could feel them push past the heavy lead and touch her flesh. Tilly took a large gulp of air.

At an unknown signal, one of the electrodes in the crook of her right arm shocked her, making her bicep seize up. It was enough to start the internal reaction, and with their test apparently complete, a gas flooded the pod and made her feel drowsy.

_Just as my life seemed to be going ok _Tilly thought as her consciousness slipped away.

Lance Bain smoothed his grey hair back, walked over to the nearest console as the initial test completed. He stood behind the technician at the desk, a dark-haired Indian man in a white coat.

"How is it looking?" Bain asked calmly.

"I have never seen anything like it sir, we are receiving 11,000 Megawatts from her bicep muscle alone. Enough to power New York City" the tech replied excitedly.

"Perfect. Now to sell it.

Bucky, Tony, Steve Natasha and Wanda loaded onto the Quinjet that was already idling on the tarmac on the Avengers building roof. Tony, because he felt guilty and was the most likely to be able to schmooze up to Lance. Wanda, because of her ever-useful ability to move things with her mind. Natasha, because she was most likely to be able to sneak into the compound if Tony failed. Bucky, because he recognised the girl, and Steve because well, he's Captain America.

And because Tony and Bucky needed a buffer at times.

"Alright, the plan is that I'll distract Mr Power Pack, and the rest of you set about finding our mystery chick" Tony commanded.

"Sounds good to me" Natasha replied.

Everyone else nodded.

"Great, then once we're done, I bribe the secret to eternal power from her" Tony grinned

Bucky had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. As usual, Stark was cracking jokes at the worse times.

He had dressed in usual Kevlar combat armour and picked up a sturdy looking semiautomatic rifle for the inevitable battle. If this X64 chick was ex-HYDRA, they were taking a big risk running with such a light crew. And yet, he didn't feel worried that she would attack them. Why? He scrunched his face up as he contemplated it. He still couldn't remember who she was, but he felt some kind of ..companionship? Maybe she was a super soldier too, and they'd trained together. Or maybe she was just another sucker sold on the HYDRA dream like Wanda had been. Whatever the reality was, he wasn't any closer to an explanation for his feelings.

Natasha's voice broke him out of his thoughts "I read through the rest of the HYDRA dump. There's not much, just that she's an experiment, and was sold off about 3 years ago." She frowned "It also mentioned that she was radioactive, although I'm not sure if I'm translating that right. Or HYDRA maybe is that crazy" she gave a small half smile at that.

"Shame we don't have hazmat suits then" said Tony

"Couldn't afford the upgrade?" Steve joked

"Too bulky, then you couldn't check out my ass" Tony winked

Wanda and Natasha both giggled at that one.

They landed about a block away from the sprawling complex that housed the experimental wing of Baine Power. It was still New York, but it felt like the middle of nowhere. The town around the facility was small enough that it made Bucky think it was just for the employees of the great white mass.

Tony directed them to a corner and put on his best 'Trust me' face.

"Alright guys, I'll be in your ear the whole time. I've got the suit in here" he patted his large briefcase "but I'm hoping it won't come to that. You guys stake out any other entrances, and I'll do my best of getting in with diplomacy" he explained.

"Good luck Tony, we won't be far" nodded Steve

"Thanks spangles. I'll see you all soon"

As Tony trotted off to the main entrance, Steve outlined their go. Wanda would take the high ground and keep tabs on positions, while Natasha checked out the western block. Bucky and Steve would check the eastern side, and rendezvous at the back if neither found an entrance.

With everyone prepped and planned, Steve and Bucky jogged off towards the great white mass.

Despite such a large compound, there wasn't a soul around. No security, coffee cart or employees. Bucky found it extremely unnerving.

"So are you gonna tell me how you know her?" Steve asked, looking deliberately at his friend.

Bucky sighed. He knew it was coming, but he wished he had a decent answer to give.

"I don't know"

"You don't know her?"

"No, I know her, I just don't know how"

Steve frowned. "She could be another super soldier"

Bucky shrugged. It was the same thought he'd had, but right now he was too distracted with the quietness of the compound to pay full attention. Something was definitely up. They followed the curve of the building round, still on high alert, when their earpieces crackled to life.

"_Mr Stark? What have I done to be offered this lucky meeting?"_

"_Please Lance, call me Tony. I've been meaning to take you up on that offer of a tour forever, but you know how it is"_

"_A tour! Of course! Please, let me show you what we have been working on…I also have this screenplay I'd love your input on…"_

Sounded like Tony would be busy for quite some time.

Steve and Bucky continued to pace the building, there was still no one in sight. They were nearly at the apex of the curve when Bucky noticed something poking out of the grass to their right. He motioned towards it, and they both approached it quietly. It looked like some kind of switch or toggle, though to what was anyone's guess. Looking closer, he noticed a collection of cigarette butts near the switch. Bingo.

Bucky knelt down and pulled the toggle. The grass pulled back slowly to show a manhole like chamber, with a ladder leading down to brightly lit hallway.

"We're going in" said Steve over the radio.


	5. Chapter 5

Generator Chapter 5

Bucky stepped into the passage and dropped down silently. Immediately he brought his rifle up and scanned the hallway. All clear.

Steve dropped equally quietly beside him. Making eye contact, Bucky gave a small nod, and they headed down the hall, in a direction towards the building.

The walls were circular, and Bucky could feel the oppressive weight of the earth despite the bright white walls. It made his skin crawl, what was it with shadowy organisations and underground labs? Then again, the last set of labs in the sky hadn't been so great either.

Padding quietly along, they came to a T junction. Bucky checked both hallways before moving forward to look at the directory plastered on the wall. Nothing looked like what they wanted, no lab, testing, anything. Steve stood next to him, looking also. "Any ideas?" he asked. Bucky shook his head, for all he knew they should be heading towards HR. Steve pressed the comms in his ear.

"We're at a directory, any ideas what we're looking for?"

Natasha's voice crackled over "Any testing or experiments?"

Steve scanned the list. "Nope, we have Sales, Accounting, Helpdesk, Generator, Facilities…"

Natasha spoke suddenly, "Try Generator, that's the name of the box she sold Tony"

Steve nodded, and him and Bucky creeped towards the right-hand tunnel. Bucky was still uneasy with how quiet it was, they had not encountered anyone and that was downright weird. Their recon had suggested that there should be up to 500 people on the campus but so far, they had seen no-one. That is, until they came to a corner and heard voices.

Bucky raised a hand to stop Steve, and carefully looked around the corner, making sure he stayed close to the wall. He stood up straight and moved his head to the side, keeping his hands on the trigger of his weapon.

Two people stood in the hallway, one a blonde woman in formal clothing, and the other an Indian man with dark hair in a lab coat. He could just make out what they were saying.

"…it's absolutely incredible Donna! I've never seen something like it"

The woman giggled. "I've never seen you so excited Reyansh" she exclaimed

"I never thought I'd be part of something so spectacular! And Lance says it's only the beginning, with careful replication..."

Bucky didn't let them finish. He strode out with his rifle up, and as he did that Steve came up beside him. Donna noticed him and threw her hands up with a small whimper. Reyanshs eyes grew wide and he lifted his arms also.

"Please...we don't want any harm…" pleaded Reyansh, sweat already forming on his palms.

Steve made towards them, "We're looking for someone, did a young woman with white hair recently arrive?" he said authoritatively.

Donna stayed where she was, but Reyansh slowly lowered his hands, a confused look on his face. "You mean, the experiment? Why? She's not for sale anymore." he said with a frown.

Bucky could've killed him at that.

Steve spoke in a low voice. "You can't sell people, son. Now, where is she?"

Reyansh looked like he wanted to argue, but after eyeing Bucky's gun he seemed to decide against it. After a brief pause, he said "In the generator room. You won't be able to get her out though."

"Can you get her out?" asked Steve.

"Yes" he said smugly.

"Well I guess then you're coming with us"

Donna cleared her throat. "What about me" she said quietly. Steve looked at her.

"Will you tell anyone that we're here?"

"Not a soul, I promise"

"Then you best move along" said Steve, with an encouraging smile.

Donna nodded stiffly before half walking, half running back down the corridor.

"Alright, show us the way" said Steve with an extended arm. Reyansh nodded and lead them down a series of corridors. Once again, the place was dead quiet with no noise but the footsteps of the technician heading towards the centre of the building. From what Bucky could tell, they were still underground, but not going any deeper, which was a start. All of the hallways looked the same, were the same, and he was having a hard time remembering the way they came. In any case, it didn't seem like there were many people wandering around anyway.

They turned a final corner and arrived at large white double door with a card reader on the side. A rectangular sign above the door read "GENERATOR ROOM. RESTRICED ACCESS". Reyansh produced a card from his pocket and slid it across the reader. "There shouldn't be anyone here anymore" he muttered. "all gone home". The doors came open with a mechanical slide, and they walked through into a surprisingly large room.

From what Bucky could see, the room was circular and two stories high. Small balconies with shielded glass protruded about halfway up, and the ceiling curved into a sphere, giving the whole room a fishbowl-like feel. Two rows of desks with computer screens, keyboards and mice surrounded a central glass case. The three of them stepped down the steps to a desk close to the case, which Bucky could now see was made of glass. It was full of opaque gas, and he could barely see in, but what he could see….

"I'll need to drain the gas before I can open it" said Reyansh as he began typing. Steve kept an eye on him as Bucky, seemingly without realising, stepped closer to the case. A loud whoosh was heard as fans sucked away the haze, and Bucky could see clearly what was inside. It was a woman, held on what looked like a flat board with various prodding _things_ poking out of her. A steel crown adorned her head, and she was dressed in a bright white suit with only her face not covered. She was sleeping it seemed, her eyes closed and her expression blank. As he looked at her, he desperately looked for the memories that were so close to the surface they were almost taunting him. Who was she?

"Ok, I'll wake her up and open the case. Stand back"

Bucky took a step back as the glass cover unhinged like a lid above her. Slowly, the prodding things snaked out from her and retreated behind the board, and the metal crown lifted off her head. Steve was standing beside him as they both leant forward, waiting for her to wake up.

Nothing. And then…

The woman's eyes flashed open, and she let out a loud gasp. Her hands gripped the sides of the boards as she leant forward and took large, quick breaths. Bucky dropped the gun and instinctively grabbed her arm with his metal arm before she fell out, as Steve said "It's ok, we've got you"

After a moment, the woman seemed to calm down, relaxing her muscles. Bucky could see her move her head to the side and spot his hand on her forearm. Her eyes followed it up, up to his shoulder, then his neck, then his face. Finally, she looked him in the eyes. Hers a stark grey and his, a bright blue.

"Bucky?" she said, hope on her face.

And with that one word, all the memories came back.

"Gen" he said.


	6. Chapter 6

Generator chapter 6

_Somewhere in Azzan, 5 years ago_

X64, now Tilly, sat shivering in her barely there cot. The room was a jail cell, with cold concrete walls in a box around her, and even colder dirt floors. There was nothing but her cot and a small bucket in one corner, and the large iron door in the centre of the wall opposite her. Her neighbour had said the cells were 5m by 5m, and she believed him. It was the same neighbour she could hear being aggressively dumped in the cell next to her.

"Sleep well, Soldat" came a sneering voice in heavily accented English. Tilly heard the soft sound of a body shifting against the harsh concrete. Once the door slammed shut and the bolt slid across, Tilly opened her mouth and spoke quietly, "How was today?"

A gruff grunt came from the other cell followed by a "a two"

Tilly raised her eyebrows. Not bad. "Dealt out more than you took?" she asked

"Oh yeah. It's only two from some dickhead thinking he could headbutt me in the junk"

Tilly could hear the smirk in his voice as he said that. "I'm guessing you set him straight" she chuckled.

The man chuckled back.

They sat in their individual silence before he asked "How about you?"

Tilly swallowed hard. "A seven"

"Seven?" she could hear the surprise in his voice.

"Yeah, they wanted to test the whole not-dying thing. Still true it seems." She said grimly.

"Rough" came his reply. "What are you sporting?"

Tilly looked down at her menagerie of symptoms. "Oh you know, broken shoulder, stab wound to the liver, split knee, and..." she felt the back of her head "yup, blunt force to back of the head"

"Jesus." He said with a sigh.

"Nope, just another lovely day with HYDRA."

Tilly had always been able to survive a situation. She didn't necessarily heal fast, no faster than the average person, and positively snail like compared to the Soldat. But, she just didn't die. Since being kidnapped by HYDRA, they had drowned her, suffocated her, and even set her on fire. That one had been especially painful, second and third degree burns all over her body with no painkillers or sedative. But no matter what they did, there was always a pulse, a brainwave, a breath. Not to say that she didn't feel it, she felt it all, and in the awful cycle of torture and experimentation she was trapped in, the voice of her neighbour kept her going. She liked to think she kept him going too.

They had been cell mates for around 5 months now. Tilly knew what he looked like from small glimpses, knew he had a metal arm with incredible strength. She had been in the cell for some time before he came, 'defrosted' they had called it. She and him had bonded over their hatred of HYDRA, their shared suffering. And, of course, their daily "pain chats" as she called them. She didn't know much about him, only that his name was really Bucky, but it didn't mean much to him. That he had been experimented on during WWI, and that every so often he was put back on ice until they needed him. He told her this was the longest he had been out of ice, apparently a new class of weapon had meant he needed new training. But that didn't last long, and he was back on ice within the week.

_Bain Labs, present_

Bucky stared at the woman in front of him, not believing what he saw. How could he have forgotten her? Hearing her speak had brought it all back, the cell, the Azzan, the pain...

"I've missed you" she said, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She opened her arms and he lent into her embrace, revelling in how much it felt right, how much it felt like he was home. She hugged him so tight, like he might disappear if she didn't hold strong enough.

They were there for a few moments, before Steve cleared his throat next to them. "Bucky, we still need to get her out". Bucky looked to him, Tilly's face still buried in his neck. Steve looked surprised and...happy? He couldn't quite tell. Bucky nodded and untangled himself from Tilly. He gripped her shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "Lets go" she gave a decisive nod and he helped her out of the pod. She began pulling at her gloves, fumbling with the zip before her hands were finally free. She stepped out of the pod, her hand gripping his mechanical one. Once she was on the ground, she let out a great sigh. "Thank you so much" she said, looking between Bucky and Steve.

Steve shook his head. "Don't thank us yet, we still have to get you out of this place" he raised his hand to his ear and activated the comms. "We've got her, we're coming out"

"You're not going anywhere"

They turned to see Reyansh had picked up Bucky's gun, and was now pointing it at them.

"You think you're helping, but you're not! The experiment can power the whole world! She can't leave!" he screamed, almost hysterically.

Steve approached him slowly, one hand up, the other slowly reaching for his shield.

"Calm down, just take a deep breath..."

"Take a breath? Haha!" the man laughed maniacally. "I'm not throwing away a lifetime of research so she can be free! I'd rather see her dead!"

As he shot the gun, Steve swung his shield and the bullet ricocheted towards the ceiling. Taking advantage of his confusion, Steve gave one swift punch to the head, and the man dropped like a stone.

"Alright, let's go" he said.

"Wait" said Tilly. She walked up to the prone technician and searched his pockets, coming out with his swipe card. "We'll need this" she said. She looked back at Reyansh, and gave him a heavy kick in the stomach. "That's for locking me up, bastard" she whispered down at him. She straightened up and walked back to the men. "Now we can go"

Steve raised his eyebrows at Bucky. He simply smiled, and they followed Tilly out, not before reaching to grab his rifle.

Bucky was glad Tilly knew the way out, because he certainly didn't. He still insisted on leading, rifle raised, but once again they didn't seem to encounter anyone. After a few more identical corridors, they came to a bright white staircase. Tilly stopped them.

"I know we haven't seen anyone yet, but if there's any security it will be up here, ok?"

Bucky nodded as Steve lifted his shield.

"Ok" she smiled. "Let's do this"

She turned towards the stairs and crept up, preparing the swipe card for the small door at the top. It opened with a click and they walked into the room.

They were in some kind of entrance hall, easily six stories high, with no windows but the same bright white walls they had become accustomed to. There were a few white couches surrounding small tables, and to their left were a set of glass doors. They started that way before Bucky stopped suddenly "Somethings not right..." he muttered. Tilly looked back at him just as doors to their left and right opened. Dozens of people in black Kevlar, holding semiautomatic weapons began pouring into the space. Bucky raised his gun as Steve brought up his shield, but they could already tell it was fruitless. They were surrounded by at least 50 men with guns pointed at them, there was no way they could make it out unscathed.

The sound of slow clapping echoed through the space, as a man with neat white hair and a bespoke suit appeared behind the militia. Bucky could see Tony behind him, head down and defeated.

"Now this is a surprise!" exclaimed the man, with a gross hunger in his eyes.

"Not only have you attempted to make off with my Generator, you brought along a few other HYDRA scraps. What a treat" the man said with long look at Bucky.

Before he could open his mouth to continue, Tilly elbowed Bucky and Steve in the stomach, knocking them to floor. She yelled "Suit!" at Tony, and he quickly raised the briefcase in front of him. Tilly raised her arms, palms out, facing the militia. Impossibly quickly, a large green ball materialised in her hands and the men were all knocked back by a massive shockwave. The front ones were grotesquely affected, the force so hard that the flesh was blown from their skeletons. The further ones had huge welts on their body's, blood dripping from suddenly open wounds. Only Tony remained standing through the carnage, protected by the suit he was now wearing.

"Holy shit" he said, voice muffled by the helmet.

Tilly smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

Generator Chapter 7

Bucky pushed himself up off the floor. Tilly was breathing heavily, and slowly dropping her hands down to her sides. He stood up and cautiously approached her, reaching a hand to touch her shoulder. She whipped her head round, raising an open palm, but visibly relaxed when she saw it was him. "Sorry" she muttered "Force of habit"

He smiled at her "I know"

She gave a weak smile back and looked around. Steve and Tony were both making their way towards them, stepping over dismembered bodies and skeletons wearing black Kevlar like some sick parody of Halloween. It had been a while since she had caused so much damage.

"What the hell was that?" asked Tony

Tilly looked at the floor "uh…well…look I can explain, but I think we should leave first"

"Good plan" agreed Steve

They carefully walked through the mass of bodies and out the front door. Steve pressed in his comms "We're out, move to the extraction point"

Wanda's concerned voice came over the line "What was that explosion? Is everyone ok?"

"We're fine, let's get out of here"

They made their way briskly to where the Quinjet was waiting. Nat came around the corner so quietly it was like a ghost. She raised an eyebrow at Tilly but said nothing. Steve gave her a small nod.

The flight back to base was almost silent. Bucky sat next to Tilly but stayed quiet. He knew that she had been turned into a living battery by HYDRA, but that was the first time he'd seen her produce a shockwave like that. She'd never even had combat training, not as far as he knew anyway. The last time he'd seen her was just after the sale was finalised.

_Azzan_

The Winter Soldier had been assigned a mission. A mission he had completed with skill and accuracy, and now he was back at base. He was back in the cell, they were keeping him awake for a few days before putting him back on ice, apparently there were a few things they wanted from the prisoner.

He sat in the cell and heard a voice that was both familiar and unknown.

"Only a one today. No pain, but apparently, I've been 'sold'. Didn't realise they could still do that to people"

The Soldier didn't reply. He knew the voice, but the repeated electrical brain trauma made it hard to remember who it was. He heard a sigh.

"Anyway, I leave tomorrow. Guess that's it for us Bucky."

He started at that name. Was that him? He didn't know.

The voice sighed. "I know you probably can't remember me. It's ok. Just know that I'll miss you, and you'll escape this place one day"

He closed his eyes. The words didn't make much sense, but they seemed comforting.

That was the last time he heard that voice until they met again.

_Present_

They arrived back at base, and there was a jolt as the jet landed on the roof. They each clambered out of the jest and made their way to the door ahead. Nat and Wanda entered first, chatting about some TV show they needed to catch up on. Bucky subconsciously stayed close to Tilly, as if to guard her from something, and they both followed Tony inside.

He led them to the elevator and Tony, Steve, Bucky and Tilly travelled down to another level. Tilly was led to what looked like a conference room, with a large oval table in the centre. An HD TV adorned one wall and a dozen office chairs encircled the table.

"Take a seat" said Tony

He still had his suit on but had removed his helmet and it was much easier to hear him. Tilly pulled out the chair closest to her and sat down. She lent forward and put her elbows on the table, hands clasped in front of her. She still had the lead suit on, and it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, but she knew better than to mention it before she was on the good side of her rescuers. Steve and Bucky stayed standing also, both in front of the screen.

"Right" said Tony, arms crossed over his chest. "Care to explain who you are, and what the hell happened in there?"

Tilly gave a cautious look to Bucky, who gave a short nod. "You can trust us" he said.

Tony looked incredulous "You can explain that too while you're at it"

Tilly gave a long sigh. "Alright. I'll start from the beginning"

"When I was a kid, everything was fairly normal. Parents loved me and all that crap. One day though, I was out with some friends at a party, and us being idiots, let the drunk guy drive home." She took a long breath.

"Long story short, we were T boned by an 18-wheeler. Everyone in the car died at the scene. Except me" She kept her face carefully neutral.

"I went to the hospital with a windscreen wiper impaled in my chest" Tilly pointed at her sternum "It went right through my heart. The doctors didn't understand how I was still alive"

"I healed up and went on with life. After a while, I got depressed. It didn't seem fair that I was the only one who lived through that. So I tried to end it" she swallowed hard, avoiding eye contact.

"I took at least 150 aspirin; I boxed my liver and kidneys. It was awful. But I still didn't die. That was when HYDRA somehow became aware of me. I think one of the doctors must have ratted me out"

Tilly shook her head. "They took me to Azzan for nearly a decade. That's where I met Bucky" she explained, gesturing to him. "We were cell neighbours"

Steve looked purposefully at Bucky, but he ignored him. He was staring at Tilly, realising that he never knew that's how she ended up with HYDRA.

Tony cleared his throat. "So you can't die? No matter what?"

Tilly looked at him. "Pretty much. I don't heal fast, I still feel everything, but nothing kills me."

He nodded. "And the…" He raised his hands, palms up "…that? What's with that?"

Tilly smiled, but it didn't seem genuine. "That was HYDRA. They put nuclear material in me, so I'm basically a human battery. Side effect of that was being able to make nuclear events outside of my body"

"That was a nuclear explosion?" asked Steve, incredulously.

She nodded. "A small one, yeah. A nuclear explosion produces a shockwave powerful enough to shatter bone and rip flesh. So I made the shockwave but contained the radiation."

"Are _you_ radioactive?" inquired Tony

Tilly tilted her head. "I mean, I guess so? But not enough to make people around me sick"

"That's a relief" he said.

She chuckled. "So there you go, that's the story. My life laid out" she leant back in her chair; hands clasped behind her head. "Now with that out of the way, I need a favour of you all" a smile played on her lips.

Tony scoffed "I think we just did you a massive solid" he repied "We stopped you from being turned into a charging pack for Mr Screenwriter"

Tilly nodded. "That you did, and I am eternally grateful. But would they have known where to find me if you hadn't brought me here in the first place?" she said seriously.

"They would have found you eventually" said Steve

Tilly leant forward and pointed at him. "Exactly. So that's what I need help with"

"Hiding huh? You picked a pretty noteworthy group of people for it" frowned Tony

"Hiding's for losers" she said "Let's go get them and make them pay"

Bucky couldn't stop himself from smirking.


	8. Chapter 8

Generator Chapter 8

They put Tilly in one of the spare rooms. It was the very definition of neutral, with grey walls and massive double bed in the corner with equally dull sheets. A large window covered the far wall. She was soon left alone, and immediately collapsed onto the soft bed. She didn't need to sleep but the emotional exhaustion seemed to have taken a physical effect on her. Tilly sighed as she lay on the warm covers, breathing in the scent of the room. It smelled clean, but there was a hint of vanilla, probably from a diffuser in the bathroom.

The team had agreed to help her, although she suspected Tony only did because Captain America had given him a stare strong enough to pound iron. They had some intel on the remaining HYDRA rat holes, but nothing concrete yet. In the meantime, Tilly had essentially been left to her own devices. Not that she minded, she was used to living alone. Which reminded her,

"FRIDAY, I need to go and get my stuff from my apartment. Can I go now?"

"Mr Stark has advised waiting a week to prevent any tails"

Tilly nodded. Good, he wasn't a total idiot then.

"Do I have any clothes here?"

"A selection has been provided in the closet Ms Atherson"

She stood up and went to the wardrobe. There were a range of clothes that matched the neutral tones of the room. Tilly suddenly realised she was still wearing the lead suit and reached for the nearest hanger. Time for a shower and a change of clothes.

Naturally, the bathroom was fitted out with the best of the best. Tilly didn't even want to think how much it all cost, but at least she wasn't the one paying for it. She turned the shower on, running her hands under the already warm water, letting out a small sound as it ran over her skin. She turned to the mirror and tried to find the zip for the godforsaken suit. It took her a minute to realise there wasn't one. She swore under her breath, they probably sewed it on, not trusting anything else. Which meant she was going to need help to get it off.

She walked back into the bedroom. "FRIDAY, can you contact Barnes? Tell him to come here, with a knife. A sharp one"

000

Bucky was lounging in Steve's room when the AI's voice informed him of Tilly's request. He had decided to give her some space, he remembered how overwhelming it had been to come here. That being said, she had been in the world for longer than he had been and had seemed to build a life for herself. His heart swelled with pride at that. She had always been the optimistic one of the two, always saying what she wanted when she escaped. Not if, when. Even when they had hurt her beyond belief, she was always fighting, always imagining the better life waiting for her.

On the one hand, he cursed himself for not looking for her sooner. She could have still been with HYDRA, still been tortured in the way he had been, and he would've never known. Steve had already admonished him for thinking like that, telling him that firstly, she was out of HYDRA's hands anyway. And secondly, that he couldn't be blamed for what he couldn't remember after all the shit he'd been through. While Bucky could see his point of view, he also didn't forgive himself. She might have only been in his life for a few years, but she had provided a level of companionship and support he'd not had since fighting alongside Steve in the Great War.

So when he was summoned to her room with a sharp knife, it was hard not to assume the worst. He shot up and nearly ran to the combat blade on the table. Tilly's room was on the floor above and he briskly walked up the stairs to it. He didn't bother to knock on the door, instead pushing the door open, knife held out in front of him. His tension quickly dissipated, and he nearly let out a laugh at the scene in front of him.

Tilly was on the floor, back on the ground and legs in the air like some sort of overturned tortoise. Her arms were contorted painfully behind her shoulders, and he could hear her muttering "blasted piece of shit, motherfucking shit cunt..." She kept wiggling around, desperately trying to get the suit off her. Bucky could hear the shower going in the other room,

This continued for a few more moments before he cleared his throat. She looked up at him and stopped moving, a deep frown on her face. "Want some help there?" he asked, not hiding the smirk on his face.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes I want some fucking help"

He extended his metal arm to hers and she launched herself up. "There's no zip or anything, you have to cut it off" she explained

Bucky brandished the blade. "I figured"

She huffed. "Ok well, be careful. I don't feel like bleeding profusely"

"I'm always careful" he whispered, placing the blade on the collar of the suit and pushing down. He was surprised at the amount of resistance, but soon there was a deep split down the middle.

"Jesus, what is this made of doll?"

"Lead" she said. "Only thing that stops this shit" she turned her face and gave a mischievous grin, a green ball moving between her fingertips.

"Yeah I meant to ask you about that" he moved back as she stepped out of the suit. It was only then that he realised she was only in a bra and underwear. Bucky averted his eyes as she picked up a towel and wrapped it around herself. It had been a while…

He swallowed hard, trying to push that image from his mind. She was a friend, just a friend.

Tilly sat on the bed and patted the mattress next to her. He sat next to her, being careful to look at her face and not her bare shoulders. She gave him a small smile.

"Thanks for that" she said earnestly

"Anytime doll" he said, returning the smile.

They sat in silence for a moment, and Bucky looked around the room. It was set up the same as all the other Stark apartments, except barer. Even he had allowed some creative input from Pepper to make it more homely. He heard Tilly let out a breath beside him.

"So, you got out?" she asked

He nodded "Yeah. They sent me to kill Steve, and he helped me. Helped me remember me" he smiled at the thought. "But I've been in Wakanda a while, so they could clear HYDRA out" he pointed at his temple

She looked pointedly at his arm "They give you that too?"

Bucky flexed his metal hand. "Yup, kind of a bonus after Tony shot the last one off"

She raised her eyebrows "Ok...?"

He shook his head "Story for another time"

Tilly nodded. "How are you coping?" she asked, eyes filled with genuine concern.

He sighed. Bucky felt that he could be truly honest with her. Tony didn't like him, and even Steve seemed to remember him as something he wasn't really. It was hard to admit how he was really feeling to someone who saw something that Bucky didn't.

"It's been hard. I'm glad to be out, but I don't know who I am without a mission. Steve tells me stories of what I was like, but it almost feels like another person. I want to be that guy but…" he looked at the blank wall "I don't know if I can. Don't know if he's even still there"

He felt warm arms suddenly wrap around his shoulders, soft hair resting on his cheek as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder. Bucky lent into the contact, placing a hand on her hip as the other rubbed her bare shoulder. He rested his head on top of hers and relaxed into her breaths. After some time, he felt the rumble of her voice on his collarbone.

"It's ok if you're not that man anymore Bucky. It's ok to be new" she said quietly.

He closed his eyes, absorbing her words. She seemed to be the only one that actually accepted him as he was, without preamble or expectation. It was wonderful.

She leaned back and looked at him seriously, raising one hand to cup his cheek. "It will all be ok, I promise"

He nodded and closed his eyes. He certainly hoped so.

She removed her hand and Bucky was surprised at the way his heart lurched when she did. She smiled brightly at him. "Ok now I really need a shower, I smell so bad"

He grinned at her; happy the tone had lifted again. "Yeah, you do"

She slapped his shoulder "Shut the fuck up!"

Tilly got up to take a shower, but not before giving Bucky's hand a final squeeze.

"Apparently, I'm to attend dinner at 6pm, will you be there?" she asked

Bucky frowned, he usually skipped out on the whole bonding thing, despite Steve's protests.

"Probably not" he said honestly.

She put an exaggerated frown on her face "Too bad, so sad"

Tilly turned back to the bathroom "Now fuck off, I'm getting naked"

Bucky left.


	9. Chapter 9

Generator Chapter 9

Tilly emerged from the bathroom an hour later. She felt so much better with washed hair and fresh clothes. Having no idea of the formality of dinner, she opted for black jeans and a grey ribbed sweater. She looked at herself in the mirror, white hair tied up in a high ponytail. Nothing felt injured, but she decided to do a body scan anyway.

"Body scan" she said out loud.

A green light travelled from the top of her head to her feet. No parts stayed illuminated, _All clear. _Since having radioactive cells, Tilly was learning new ways to use it. One of the more recent ones was loading up each cell consecutively and doing a check of any damage. It wasn't something she'd had to use much, but it did come in handy every so often. Her abuse at HYDRA had also meant she frequently didn't notice minor injuries.

Tilly eyed the clock and opened the front door. _Time to meet the people _she thought glumly. The solitude of living alone and in hiding had suited her nicely.

FRIDAY helped direct her to the dining room. She could hear the clink of glasses and peals of laughter emanating from the room. Tilly walked cautiously into the dining room, not quite sure what to expect.

"Here she is!" exclaimed Tony, a wild smile on his face as he lounged on a couch. Tilly looked around at the faces. It wasn't exactly a dining room, more a collection of couches and a kitchen. Tony and Pepper sat on one grey couch, with the next being occupied by Nat and a man with dark hair and glasses. Wanda and a red (_huh?)_ man were preparing something in the kitchen. Steve was sharing another couch with two men, one with a stupid grin and the other with a perfectly manicured beard. Tilly smiled at them all, trying to squash the nerves in her stomach. "Hi everyone, I'm Tilly"

The man with the stupid grin stood up and grabbed her hand "I'm Clint, and this is Sam" he pointed at the bearded man, who gave a small wave. "and you've already met Steve". Steve nodded, a strange look on his face that Tilly couldn't place. She nodded as Clint continued "In the kitchen is Wanda and Vision" Wanda smiled shyly, and Vision simply nodded. "And over here we have Nat and Bruce" more polite waves "Pepper and last, and certainly least, Tony" Clint said with a cheeky smile. Tony gripped his chest in mock outrage "How could you Barton?"

Clint shrugged "Just being honest"

Tilly chuckled "Thank you for all the introductions, I'll do my best to remember you all"

Sam patted the couch next to him. "Sit here, I want to know all about the daring escape that Steve won't shut up about"

Tilly blushed and sat down. "It wasn't very daring from my end, I'm just grateful there was an escape" she shuddered at the thought of the alternative.

Sam waved his hand "Sure sure, but you like blew up half the building, right?"

"Sam…" said Steve quietly, not sure if she would be comfortable with this topic of discussion.

Tilly nodded, "It's ok. Yeah pretty much" she grinned mischievously "I'll have to give you a live example some time" she winked at Sam

Sam raised his hands "As long as I'm not in the building!"

That earned a few chuckles from the group.

Most seemed happy to talk amongst themselves. Pepper was scolding Tony about something, while Nat and Bruce talked quietly to each other. Clint was leaning out of the couch to complain to Wanda and her obsession with spicy foods. To her surprise, Tilly relaxed. This was truly a family, a safe place.

She turned to see that Steve was watching her. "What's up?" she asked.

He smiled at her. "How are you settling in?" he replied

Tilly shrugged her shoulders. "Bit early to tell I think" she answered honestly.

Steve nodded understandably. "Bucky came to see you earlier", the question in his eyes obvious.

She grinned "Yeah, I needed help getting the suit off"

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Tilly shook her head. "It's not like that. We have a shared experience y'know" she swallowed "both understand what it's like to be unmade"

Steve nodded quickly. "That makes sense" He had deep emotions in his eyes, but Tilly couldn't make them out. "When I first saw him, I mean when I knew it was him, I…" He shut his eyes and took a deep breath to compose himself "I think it's good you're here. I think it will help him"

Tilly looked at him, a sad smile on her face "I hope so" she agreed. "I'll do my best"

Steve beamed back "That's all I can ask for"

They sat listening to the surrounding conversations for a moment, each in their own thoughts.

"The food is ready" came Vision's voice from the kitchen.

"Finally…" muttered Sam beside her, and they all made their way to the countertop. Tilly stayed sitting, after all, she didn't need to eat.

The next few hours passed pleasantly enough, with everyone contentedly eating the Sokovian stew. Clint and Sam seemed to tease Tony mercilessly, but he always had a scathing comment to strike back with. Even though most of the references were foreign to her, Tilly still found herself laughing along with the rest of the group. It was nice to finally feel as though she belonged somewhere.

Slowly, each person or couple made their way to bed. Tilly said her goodbyes and made her way back to her room, revelling in the warmth she felt after such a pleasant evening.

She opened the door to her room and sat back on the bed. She didn't need to sleep, and Sam had mentioned a large gym in the building. Deciding that would be better than stewing her own thoughts, Tilly retrieved some grey yoga pants and a black tank top from the wardrobe. _Good lord, I'll need to get some new clothes_ she thought. Grabbing a small towel from the bathroom and a water bottle from the fridge, she headed out.

The house AI once again directed her, and she was surprised at the sheer size of the gym, if you could even call it that. There was an Olympic swimming pool, tennis court, weights room, sparring room, and even a rubber running track. Tilly elected to start in the sparring room and began some basic stretches and yoga. There was no one in the whole place, which wasn't exactly unsurprising at midnight. Maybe she could work out a way to access the sound system?

000

Bucky jolted awake, hands up defensively and drenched in sweat. Since seeing Gen, or Tilly as she now was, on the screen, the memories of his time in Azzan were coming back more and more in his dreams. It was like seeing her had somehow unlocked a section of his brain, and now it was coming back in his sleep. Bucky took a few deep breaths to calm himself, something he had learnt from his therapist in Wakanda. T'Challa has insisted on it, and while he had initially been sceptical, it did seem to be helping. He focused all his attention on the rise and fall of his chest, and slowly his heart rate returned to normal. Bucky lay back in bed, but after a few minutes of tossing and turning it became clear he wasn't falling asleep anytime soon. After a gruff "dammit", he threw on his workout gear and made his way to the gym.

Tilly was part way through a shoulder stretch, hands clasped above her head, when she heard the gym door open. She glanced at the clock on the wall, apparently it was one am. _How bizarre_ she thought.

A moment later Bucky came stalking through the door, head down and towel in hand. He looked up at her, surprise on his face.

"Hey" she said, bringing her arms down.

"Uh, hey" he said, furrowing his brows "You should be asleep"

"So should you" she shot back

He grunted in response.

They stared at each other for a moment, and Tilly stole a look at the rest of him. He really shouldn't look that good in shorts and a skin-tight top, but he really did, and she tried desperately to not let her mind wander. Mostly unsuccessfully.

"I learnt karate" she blurted out suddenly. "Y'know, to protect myself and stuff"

Bucky said nothing for a moment before nodding. "That's good" he said

"Could you teach me some self-defence? After what happened with Bain…" she trailed off.

His face darkened with understanding, but he nodded again. "Sure thing"

Bucky walked towards her, dropping his towel next to the mat. "Let's do a wrist grab first, probably the easiest to start with." He positioned himself so he was standing in front of her.

"Hold your arm out" he commanded, and Tilly did so. He wrapped his flesh hand around her wrist with a loose but strong grip.

"So the weakest part of my grip is where my fingers meet right?" he looked at her, and she nodded in understanding. Her eyes were big, and he could see the swell of her breasts under her shirt. He swallowed hard. He turned his flesh hand up, so his fingers faced the ceiling.

"All you need to do now is pull hard on that point" he explained. Tilly's face was blank with concentration, and she thrusted up hard with her arm, breaking his hold.

"Like that?" she said, smile on her face and excitement in her eyes.

"Exactly" he said with a twitch of his lips. "Now for two handed grabs…"

Their training session continued for about an hour. As they finished up, Bucky realised he had pushed all thoughts from his dream out of his mind.

They both sat on the mat, legs spread out in front of them. Tilly was taking a few sips from her water bottle, and Bucky watched as her lips surrounded the cap.

He cleared his throat "Why are you awake?" he asked.

She put the bottle down and looked at him, leaning back on her splayed hands. "Why are you?"

"I asked first"

She tilted her head "Fair point". She took another sip from her water bottle before continuing.

"When they added all the… stuff in..." she gestured to her torso "I didn't need to sleep anymore. Or eat." She pursed her lips "I think it's because all my energy comes from my cells now, I don't need that other stuff"

Bucky nodded slowly. "What do you do at night?" he asked

Tilly shrugged "Same as I do during the day, I guess. Read, work, gym, taxes" she smiled. "Wasn't much of a problem when I lived alone"

"No one will care here" he said "the walls are very thick"

"That's good to know" she responded. "Your turn, why are you up?"

Bucky looked down and fidgeted awkwardly. "Bad dream" he mumbled.

"Azzan?" Tilly asked quietly.

He nodded.

"I'm sorry" she said. Surprisingly, he actually believed her.

"Not your fault" he mumbled.

"Nor is it yours" she said seriously.

Bucky gazed at her. He didn't deserve how kind she was being to him, and it made him feel uncomfortable. At the same time though, a strange warmth filled him knowing that he was accepted as himself.

His musing was interrupted by a gigantic yawn. Tilly giggled.

"Off to bed for you, I think" she teased. He nodded in agreement and they both stood up. They wandered back to the elevator, but before pressing the call button she turned to him.

"If you ever need someone to talk to…like at night…" Tilly fingered the bottom of her tank top "I mean, I'll be awake. Cause I don't sleep" she finished lamely.

Bucky smiled at her "Appreciate the offer doll"

She gave an awkward smile back and got into the elevator. Bucky walked back to his room and collapsed back into bed. He didn't have any more dreams.


	10. Chapter 10

Generator Chapter 10

Tilly was contentedly browsing the internet the next morning when FRIDAY's voice came over the speaker in her room.

"Ms Atherson, you are requested by Mr Stark in the War Room"

"Now?"

"Yes please ma'am"

"Alright"

Tilly closed her laptop and walked towards the door. She wasn't sure what Tony wanted, but she wasn't surprised. No doubt there was a caveat to her free lodging that was about to be revealed.

After the short ride in the elevator, she stepped into the high-tech room once again. She was greeted by Tony and Nat, as well as a third man she had not met. He had an eye patch and a scary face, making Tilly immediately uneasy.

"Tilly, this is Nick Fury, the leader of what's left of SHIELD"

That would explain the uneasy feeling.

"Hello" she said politely, reaching across to shake his hand. Nick stood up and shook her hand firmly.

"I've heard a lot about you" he stated, not breaking eye contact for a second. Tilly sat down across the table from him, next to Tony.

She didn't respond, so Tony piped up "Let's get started"

"We've got a bit of a situation in Phoenix, Arizona" he began, bringing up a map on the large TV to their left. Tilly looked at a smattering of buildings in a desert.

"It's the location of the Palo Verde power station" Nat explained, pointing to the screen. "We've received word that one of the engineers is planning to overload the reactor. Something about 'proving a point'" she said with serious face.

"Reactor?" asked Tilly "so it's nuclear?"

Tony nodded. "It is. It's also a research facility, apparently they're getting close to a way to produce power without radioactive waste"

"Like the Arc reactor?" commented Fury.

Tony scrunched his face. "Kind of? But its still nuclear, just they can get more from the rods before they're spent"

Fury nodded in understanding.

"So why am I here?" asked Tilly

"Well" Nat continued, "We've apprehended the guy, but he's told us that the melt down is going to happen anyway at midnight tonight"

Tony flicked an image on screen. It was a large circle on the map, and encompassed most of California, Arizona and Texas. "If that facility goes into melt down, this whole area will be affected. Millions of people will die in the fallout"

Tilly nodded slowly, finally understanding why she was here. "You want me to absorb the blast"

"Hopefully it doesn't come to that" said Tony quickly. "But yes, if it does. We're going to try to find the device, but if it's in the reactor itself…" he trailed off.

"What do I get from this?" demanded Tilly

"You get to remain hidden. And you get help with the next HYDRA cell that dares to show it's face" came Fury's harsh reply.

_Jeez this guy is terrifying_ thought Tilly.

"Alright" she conceded. "Let's go to Phoenix"

000

Tony wanted to get his latest suit and Nat went to get weapons, so Tilly decided to visit Bucky. If the nuclear explosion killed her (which she sincerely hoped it wouldn't), it was the least she could do to let him know that's what happened.

She knocked on his door and heard shuffling inside. A moment later the door opened a crack, and his blue eyes peeked out.

"Oh it's you" he exclaimed and opened the door wider, gesturing for her to come in. "Why are you here?"

Tilly stepped into the room, which was a near copy of hers, except this one actually looked lived in. There was a dark desk in the corner, as well as a few potted plants. A bookshelf filled part of the east wall, and she could see books from all topics and interests. She turned back to face him.

"I just wanted to say hi, Tony wants me to go and sort out this nuclear power plant. Apparently, it may blow up"

He raised his eyebrows "Shit"

"Yeah" she agreed. "I think I'll be able to absorb it, like I do with my own abilities" she explained "but hopefully it won't come to that anyway. Nat's coming too and she can charm the spots off a leopard"

"Still" he said "bit of a big ask on day two"

Tilly shrugged. "I've had worse. Anyway, I'm not sure how long we'll be, so this is bye for now"

Bucky felt his heart jump to his throat. She had only just re entered his life and she was already leaving?

She saw his eyes widen, and raised her hands up, shaking them. "No, no, not like that. It'll be like, a day at the most" she smiled at him. He let out a small breath.

"That's good" he said awkwardly, not sure what else to say.

Tilly stepped towards him and put her arms around his strong waist, leaning her head into his chest. She felt his hands clasp at the small of her back and his head rest on top of hers. He felt so warm, and his arms she felt safe, like everything would be ok.

Bucky held Tilly contentedly. He liked holding her in his arms like this, protective and gentle at the same time. Her hair was soft under his stubbled chin and smelt faintly of vanilla. He felt her lean back and looked into her grey eyes. "I'll miss you" she said quietly.

"Me too" he responded, surprising himself. Did he already care that much about her?

Tilly looked down at his lips, his mouth slightly open. She wanted to tilt towards him, to capture his lips with her own.

Before either of them could move, Tony's voice came over the intercom "We're ready to go NukeChick"

Tilly nearly jumped at the interruption, but instead untangled herself from Bucky with a sigh. "I'll see you later then" she said, giving him a final look over her shoulder before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Bucky missed her warmth as soon as she left. What had happened to him just then? He shook his head, reminding himself that she was just a friend. But the way she looked at him just then made him question that fact.

000

Tilly was feeling distinctly under dressed as the jet touched down at the energy facility. Tony was in full iron man attire, gold accents on a red suit. Natasha was in her skin-tight Black Widow suit, examining the handgun she held. Tilly was once again in a drab combination of white jeans and a black t shirt. Did Tony provide his guests with anything except greyscale?

"Should I have a suit?" inquired Tilly

"Do you want a suit? I figured whatever I made you would blow up" teased Tony. He threw her a small backpack "This has some spare clothes if you do explode"

Tilly rolled her eyes at him "Loving the confidence Stark"

He grinned "I'll make sure Barnes writes a eulogy"

There was a jolt as the jet landed on the site. Tilly heard the snap of a gun as Nat pushed it into her thigh holster. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

They walked out of the jet onto a green lawn situated in front of an administration building. A tanned woman in a white coat came up to greet them.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice" she exclaimed, hands shaking by her sides. "I'm not sure what we would've done otherwise"

"All part of the job ma'am" said Tony with a short bow.

"Of course," continued the woman, shifting her feet about. "Come with me, I'll explain as we walk"

They followed her into the building. Tilly shivered as they entered, it was all too familiar to where she had been not two days ago. At least these guys used uranium and not living people.

"The reactor seems fine for now, but Dr Peters was one of the few people cleared to enter" the woman explained, taking them briskly through various locked doors and corridors. Tilly had to hurry to keep up.

"There could be something inside, perhaps a timer to detonate the reactor. We can't risk sending someone inside, there's only two others with clearance and both suspect the doctor has left a radioactive element too strong for the hazmat suits" she warned

"Why do you think that?" asked Nat

The woman turned to look at her quickly before continuing her march "We have CCTV footage of him placing something in the hallway to the reactor. There's no way to identify it without sending someone in."

"Has he worked here long?" pressed Nat

The woman nodded slowly, finally stopping her walk as they approached a massive steel tube. "Yes, he has, almost a decade. None of us can understand why he'd do something like this, put all those lives in danger…" she trailed off. They all understood the gravity of the situation.

"Where is the entrance" asked Tilly quietly. Tony gave her a smile

"I'll show you" said the woman. "Do you need a lead suit?"

Tilly shook her head.

The woman's eyes widened but she said nothing.

The reactor was a large steel pod, hanging in the middle of the massive concrete turrets that reactors are known for. Inside the pod several uranium rods were submerged in water. The steam they produced wafted upwards and powered a turbine, which in turn produced electricity. The rods could be lowered and raised depending on usage and electricity required. But if the water couldn't effectively cool down the rods, a nuclear meltdown would occur. The damage in that scenario would be immeasurable, causing a gigantic blast and poisoning the land for centuries after.

Tilly gave a long breath as she stood in front of the door that lead to the reactor. She wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen. The amount of radiation she was about to be exposed to would kill a regular person, but to her? She didn't know. There was a chance it could set of a reaction in her own cells, and if that happened…

She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts. Tilly felt a mechanical hand grip her shoulder and turned to see Tony giving her an encouraging smile. "You'll be fine NukeChick" he assured her.

She didn't feel so confident but nodded anyways. Steeling herself, Tilly stepped forward and opened the door. She walked forward, closing the door behind her. There was another door directly ahead of her, but this one had a large wheel on the front. Various danger stickers adorned the front, as well as the radioactive symbol above it. Pushing hard on the bars, Tilly rotated the wheel until she heard the click of a lock. The door swung open and she stepped through it.

Standing on a raised metal platform, Tilly leaned forward to look at the pool below her. The water was a deep blue, the rods all lowered into the water. Steam billowed towards the ceiling, obscuring some of her view. A set of stairs descended to her left, and she walked down it towards the pool. Once she was level with the water, she noticed something strange.

She was glowing.

Very slightly, barely noticeably, but she was glowing green. Tilly realised that her top level of cells had activated, probably due to radiation in the air. She tried to deactivate them, but they wouldn't. Tilly frowned, knowing to keep an eye on it as she continued.

Looking around the large space, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. _Not that I know what ordinary is_ she thought. She walked the full circle around the pool, but it was just more steel path. Sitting on the hard ground, Tilly frowned. What was she even looking for?

Which was when she noticed a light at the bottom of the pool. A light with a countdown on it, _Shit._ This Dr Peters guy must have dropped a bomb into that water, and when all the water rushed out the hole and the rods overheated…. that was going to be bad.

Tilly considered her options, which were limited. She could leave and ask if they had something to retrieve the bomb, or if they could somehow disable it. Or she could just leave them to their fate.

She shook her head. No, she definitely wasn't doing that. Which meant she was diving down to get it.

Taking a deep breath, Tilly stoop up and dropped one foot into the water, letting the rest of her body follow. She sunk quickly into the warm water, and soon felt prickling along her skin. She would have to be quick, more and more of her cells were activating and she didn't want to think what the consequences might be. Rotating her body so that she was facing the bottom, she swam further down towards the counting digits. Her immortality meant she didn't have to breathe, but she would still pass out if she was down here for too long.

A few seconds later and she was right on top of the bomb. Ignoring precautions, she reached out to pick it up, grateful this ordeal was nearly over.

It didn't move.

Tilly tried not to panic as she pulled again, putting more force into it. It didn't budge.

She could feel her throat seizing up as the terror threatened to take all her air. She wanted to scream, but instead she closed her eyes and tried to relax. _It's gonna be ok. _

After a few more attempts to pry the bomb out, she conceded that pulling it wasn't going to be enough. It felt like a strong magnet was holding it to the metal floor, this Dr Peters had clearly thought ahead.

Tilly positioned her palm right where the bomb met the floor. If she could release just the right amount of force, maybe she could dislodge it. Alternatively, she might blow the whole reactor.

Pushing that thought out of her head, Tilly focused on the bomb in front of her.

After a beat, she pushed out the tiniest bit of force. Thankfully, the bomb dislodged and began to float towards the surface. Tilly could've cried from happiness until she noticed what was left in its place.

There was a crack.

_Fuck_

Eyes wide, Tilly watched it. There was a groan from the metal, but nothing happened. Taking that as a cue to leave, she desperately kicked to the surface, collecting the bomb on the way up. She breached the surface with a gasp, swimming over to the nearest metal bank. Launching herself out of the water, she finally noticed that she was now significantly brighter and greener. The contaminated water clinging to her skin was activating her cells at an alarming rate. She swiped the bomb and walked quickly out of the reactor, stopping to bend over and cough and suck big lungsful of air.

Tilly opened the first door easily and knocked on the second, still gripping the bomb in her right arm. The door opened and she saw Nat and Tony's concerned eyes widen at the sight of her glowing.

"Don't touch me" she rasped; breath still scratchy from holding it so long. They obliged, stepping back to give her space. She lent forward, hands on knees as she heard the woman shut the door behind her.

"The bottom has a crack" she said, wincing. Tilly looked up to see the woman rush over to the cylinder to examine the damage.

"We can fix it" came the reply, and Tilly smiled, relieved.

"Is that the bomb?" asked Nat

"Yup" agreed Tilly, still bent over.

"We need to get rid of it" came her reply

Tilly eyed her from under her brow. "How do we do that?"

"We could drop it in the ocean?" suggested Tony

"It's still radioactive" argued Tilly

They were silent for a moment before the woman piped up.

"There's an abandoned oil well nearby, it's at least 5000m deep"

"Sounds good to me" replied Tony.

Tilly nodded "Oil well it is"

The woman showed them out of the building, with Tilly being careful not to touch anything in her radioactive state. They loaded back into the jet, Nat driving them to the co-ords given by the woman. Tilly stayed standing, one hand gripping onto a strap hanging from the ceiling. Tony sat in the furthest seat.

"So how are you getting rid of the light show?" he asked, looking at her glowing form.

She sighed "I'm fairly sure it's the radiation in the water, hopefully once I take these clothes off and dry it'll go away"

He looked at her triumphantly "And that's why I brought the spares!"

Tilly just rolled her eyes.

000

They arrived at the oil well not long after they left the plant. Tilly hopped out of the jet and walked over to the hole, decisively throwing the bomb into it. She was glad to be rid of it.

Checking to make sure no one was looking (especially Tony), she stripped off her sopping wet clothes. Drying off all the residual liquid, she was glad to see the glowing disappear and the cells power down. Tilly pulled on the clothes (_grey jeans and a white top, what a shock_) and walked back to the jet.


	11. Chapter 11

Generator Chapter 11

The three of them were all grateful to return to the New York base. The sun was rising as they parted ways, the exhaustion clear on Tony's face. He patted Tilly's back hard and mumbled out a "Good job nuke" before tiredly wandering towards his room.

"Well done" came a quiet voice beside her, and Tilly was surprised to see it was Nat.

They hadn't interacted much, and from what Tilly could see, she was careful to not reveal too much about herself. Tilly smiled back at her.

"Thank you, glad to help" she replied, and the Black Widow's green eyes lit up slightly and a half smile graced her lips. Nat nodded before walking to her room.

Shaking her head at the absurdity of the day, Tilly went to her room. While she had got rid of most of the contaminated water, it was worth having a shower anyway. It would be awkward if she gave one of her teammate's cancer.

_Teammate? _she thought, frowning. _Is that what they are?_

Her door clicked open and she made a beeline for the shower, already stripping off the drab clothes.

000

Bucky was making a breakfast of yogurt and fruits when the trio arrived back. He heard them sleepily commenting on the outcome before all going their separate ways, his ears pricking at the sound of Tilly's voice. _Nice that she's still alive_ he thought with a smirk.

Steve insisted on inviting him for a run each morning, but Bucky knew that Sam would be there too. And as much as he tried, which was not very hard, the bird guy did not like him. Instead, he had taken to making breakfast at this time, with it being early enough that most people wouldn't yet be up. He hadn't really been assigned any particular job at the compound, so his days were mainly filled with food, exercise, and reading. Steve had a list of books to bring him up to speed with the way of the world now, and he was finding it interesting. The technology was still pretty foreign to him, but he was slowly getting used to the internet and its wealth of knowledge.

Bucky's musings were interrupted by the sound of Steve and Sam arriving back. He quickly scooped up his breakfast, planning to finish it in his apartment. He was almost out of the kitchen when he heard Steve.

"Hey Buck, what's the plan today?"

Bucky turned around, ignoring Sam's harsh stare. Bucky lifted his bowl, "Breakfast"

Steve put his hands on his hips and gave him an exasperated face "After that?"

Bucky just shrugged, striding towards the door before the conversation could continue.

Steve watched him go, letting out a sigh.

Sam turned towards the fridge, opening the chrome door "OJ for the captain?" he asked, lifting up a carton. Steve shook his head.

Sam gave the other man a pointed look as he drank from the box "You need to relax Steve. He's just adjusting"

Steve gave a small smile to his friend. Sam might not like Bucky much, but he was a good guy to pretend to care anyway. He let out another sigh and retrieved a glass from the cupboard.

"I only lapped you twice today" he chuckled.

Sam rolled his eyes "Damn super soldiers"

000

Tilly sighed at the dishevelled person in the mirror. She hated her white hair, once upon a time she had beautiful brown locks but since the radiation, it all grew out white. Pulling her damp hair up into a ponytail, she walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. _White and black or grey and black?_ she thought, frowning. After picking out an outfit, Tilly sat on the bed. _What now?_ she thought. It wasn't like she could continue her business, or that she needed to. Everything was paid for now. She could borrow some books from Bucky, but for some reason the idea of being holed up in her room didn't seem appealing. The companionship she had felt the other night had been fantastic, and she was quickly becoming addicted to it. Stretching her arms above her head, Tilly made her way to the kitchen, where she was greeted by a sweaty Sam and Steve.

"Hey guys" she greeted brightly, taking a seat at the breakfast bar. She watched as Steve concentrated on cooking what looked like a dozen eggs and Sam leaned over the bar to give her a warm smile.

"Heard you got deployed somewhere" Sam said, eyebrows wiggling conspiratorially "care to share?"

Tilly put her face on her hand, filling her face with mock shock. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, good sir"

Steve turned from the hob to chuckle at her. "Tony told me before he briefed you. You manage to prevent the explosion?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yup, had to swim in a reactor though. Not the best time" she frowned

Sam's jaw dropped "What? How the hell did you survive that?"

Tilly tapped the side of her nose "For me to know, you to find out"

Sam shook his head slowly. "The world has gotten weird huh"

"Sure has" Tilly agreed.

The eggs were transferred to two plates, and the speed at which Steve and Sam wolfed them down was like a feat of nature. She stared transfixed at them as they put the mound of food away so quickly.

"So, what does one do around here?" she asked as Sam wiped the remaining egg from his mouth.

He shrugged "Whatever you want basically. I have stuff do at the VA, and Steve usually helps out Sharon" Sam explained with a wink.

Steve blushed slightly "There's a lot to do if you want to help. Do you have any military training?"

Tilly shook her head. "HYDRA didn't bother. I started karate but I'm not very good" she said with a chuckle.

Steve stared at her for a moment, an idea forming in his head. "You know Wanda, the girl cooking yesterday?"

Tilly nodded; she hadn't spoken to her but did recognise her.

"She needs some…help… with her abilities, and the way that you use yours, might be able to help her" the captain explained.

"Abilities?" Tilly questioned

Sam gave a half chuckle at that, suddenly very interested in his plate. Steve nodded at her "Yes, she's ex HYDRA too"

Tilly felt a pang of pain in her chest. Did that awful organisation know no bounds?

"I'll help if she wants it" she agreed.

"Great" said Steve brightly. After what had happened in Africa, Wanda was unwilling to use her abilities in public, feeling that they were uncontrollable. Maybe seeing another woman with a somewhat normal life would give her some new confidence. "I'll let her know"

Tilly nodded, happy to help.

Sam and Steve finished up with breakfast and Tilly returned to her room. She watched some TV before FRIDAY informed her that Wanda was in the sparring room. Jumping up from her couch, Tilly took the elevator down the gym to meet the mystery woman. She wasn't exactly sure what to expect, whether they were going to share war stories or train their abilities. Which reminded her, she still didn't know what Wanda's were.

Tilly stepped into the sparring room, which was empty apart from a woman with long brown hair and sharp features. She seemed lost in thought, arms hanging by her sides until Tilly cleared her throat and extended her hand.

"Heya" she said, watching as Wanda cautiously placed her hand into a shake.

"Hello" came her accented voice.

"Where's that accent from?" asked Tilly, trying to relax the tense strain in Wanda's shoulders

"Sokovian" she responded.

Tilly winced. _Good job._

"Uh, cool. So, um…" she trailed off lamely, not sure what to follow up with. Wanda was gripping one hand to her elbow, looking around the room nervously, as if it might swallow her up.

Tilly plastered a grin to her face "Wanna see what I can do?" she announced, hoping to dissipate some of the other woman's anxiety.

A smile quirked at the edge of Wanda's lips. "Sure"

"Ok, watch this"

Tilly turned to face a large boxing bag in the corner of the room. Concentrating hard, she put her hands in front of her, palms facing each other horizontally. She took a breath and a wave of force came out, slicing the bag in half so sand spilt on the floor. Nothing else moved.

"Wow" said Wanda behind her, and Tilly turned to see the woman nodding appreciatively. She gave a mock bow, before extending her hand and rising. "Now your turn"

The Sokovian hesitated for just a moment. She raised her hands, strange red energy surrounding them. Focusing on the split bag, Tilly watched in awe as it lifted up and flew towards them. The red light encompassed the bag as Wanda manipulated it to land at their feet. Tilly gave an enthusiastic round of applause as the other woman looked at her feet, embarrassed.

"That's fantastic!" exclaimed Tilly

Wanda looked up at her "It is when I can control it" she said sadly.

Tilly nodded in understanding. That much power, without proper training, could definitely be overwhelming. An idea popped into her head.

"I have a plan" she said. Wanda raised an eyebrow at her, waiting.

"Do you have any Lego?"

It didn't take them long to find a massive box of Lego (Tony was basically a child in an adult's body), and Tilly emptied the pieces on to the mat.

Wanda sat down on the floor; legs neatly crossed in front of her. Tilly spread her legs wide and begun to push the pieces around until they were in a layer only one piece thick. Looking up, she began her explanation to the woman across from her.

"Ok so, you have plenty of power, but you want better control over it right? Better accuracy?" Wanda nodded slowly, not sure where this conversation was going. Tilly raised her hands to explain "So what I want you to do, is build something with this Lego. With your powers" she gave a large smile.

Wanda frowned. "I need to stick the pieces together with my powers?"

Tilly nodded "Yup"

Wanda's hands began to glow red as she raised two pieces in front of her. Tilly could see the creases forming on her face as she tried to click the pieces together. They would move closer together, but the woman couldn't get them to line up to click. They suddenly dropped to the floor.

"It's not working" she mumbled, eyes to the mat. Tilly lent forward and patted a supportive hand on her knee.

"Imagine that you are holding the pieces" Tilly offered, showing as she clicked the pieces together. Her power was far less accurate than Wanda's, but years of practice meant she could provide just the right amount of force to perform tasks.

The other woman watched as Tilly clicked together a few more pieces, before she pushed two small pieces towards her. Wanda's hands began to glow again, and the pieces raised off the mat. Tilly watched as the Lego danced in the air, and after a long minute, they clicked satisfyingly together.

"Nice work!" cheered Tilly and was rewarded with a small smile from Wanda.

"Now let's build something"

000

They worked for another few hours before Wanda became too tired to continue. They hadn't built anything, but as they gathered the pieces back into the box Tilly felt proud of all they had accomplished.

Agreeing to meet again the next day, they both made their way to their own rooms. Tilly was glowing with happiness, helping someone else made her feel fantastic. Not to mention it got her out of her room for a few more hours.

After a few hours of Arrested Development, the clock showed 6, and Tilly travelled to the kitchen slash dining room. Most of the gang were already there, and her entrance was marked by a few "hellos'". She noticed that Bucky wasn't there.

"Does Bucky not come to these?" asked Tilly.

Steve shook his head, leaning back into the sofa. She was sharing a couch with him and Sam again, already a routine forming.

"I've tried to get him to, but I think he prefers to be alone"

Tilly nodded slowly, a pang in her chest. Why wasn't he willing to join this family?

"Good to see you're back to your regular colouring Nuka" came Tony's voice from across the table.

Tilly shrugged "I'll bring it back for Christmas" she teased

"I've been telling everyone about your radioactive swim" he continued "you really did us a solid"

She blushed, not used to the praise.

"It wasn't your charm that convinced me Stark"

Clint and Nat chuckled on the other sofa and Bruce gave a small grin.

Tilly flopped back into the sofa. The vibe of the room was so warm and welcoming. She closed her eyes, letting the various conversations flow over here. Only thing missing was the soldier with the metal arm.


	12. Chapter 12

Generator Chapter 12

The next fortnight passed her by pleasantly enough. Wanda continued to improve in leaps and bounds, surpassing Tilly's expectations by a long mile. She was very new to the role of teacher but did her best to explain to her student what she wanted. They both found themselves closer to each other, often walking to dinner together and watching movies.

Tilly only saw Bucky in the gym, whether it was a sparring match or a dip in the pool. She, like Steve, continued to encourage him to attend the meals and social events in the compound. But he always resisted. She didn't push him, knowing that would only make things worse.

Tilly still wasn't sure of her feelings towards him. Of course they were friends, close friends, but it always felt like their relationship was destined to be something else. After the intimate moment they shared a few weeks ago, before her visit to Arizona, Tilly had been careful to cool down the relationship. She didn't know if he felt the way she did, or if he wanted to make anything more out of this. At the end of the day, Tilly didn't want to risk the friendship that had saved her life in many ways.

Tony, Nat, Clint and herself were the only ones still up. It was almost midnight, and the two spies and the tin man were sporting dark alcohols. Tilly didn't drink anything.

"I am not whipped" argued Tony.

Clint scoffed "You are absolutely whipped. If Pepper said jump, you'd ask how high"

Tilly nodded. "It's true"

Tony crossed his arms over his chest "What is this, gang up on billionaire night?"

"You are the only billionaire we know" said Nat with a smirk

"Rude of you to assume I'm not" exclaimed Tilly

They all eyed her. "Are you?" inquired Clint

"Well no…"

Tony rolled his eyes. "You can't be a billionaire from eBay"

"The guy who invented it probably is" countered Tilly.

Nat pulled up her phone and typed quickly. She nodded "He is"

Tilly gave Tony a self-satisfied smirk

"Well can't you go and bully him then?" Tony asked

Clint and Tilly chuckled.

Half an hour later and they had all gone to bed, save Tilly. She usually went to her room, but on this night elected to stay in the common area and watch a movie. Skipping through the channels, she saw _The Great Gatsby _had just started. Tilly pulled a spare blanket around her body and snuggled in to watch the film.

000

It seemed that every few nights, Bucky was destined to have another world-shattering dream. This time, he heard the screams of his victims like it had just happened. Like only moments ago, he had been tearing the life from their bodies.

Most of the time he could return to sleep easily but this time he needed something to ground him. Shaking his head, Bucky adjusted his sweatpants and made his way to the common area.

He could hear the sounds of the television and see the flashing lights. Hopefully whoever had it on had nodded off in front of it, he wasn't in the mood to talk.

Bucky was surprised to see it was Tilly, wrapped in a blanket but very much awake.

She looked at him with her bright grey eyes, a question on her face.

"Bad dream?" she whispered.

Bucky gave a stiff nod in response.

She gestured towards the television. "Wanna watch this movie with me?"

He thought for a moment. He didn't want to socialise, but in his pent-up state his options were limited. A brainless film actually sounded appealing.

"Alright" he said, joining her on the sofa. Tilly lifted up the side of the blanket and he gratefully draped it over him. He was only wearing sweatpants, and after the adrenaline of the dream had worn off the cold was more obvious.

Bucky examined his companion's face as the colours from the screen washed over her. Having her at the compound, in his space, he had begun to think of her in ways other than a friend. He let his gaze wander down to her bare shoulder, eyes continuing down until they landed on the curve of her chest. She was still looking at the screen, but he felt lecherous examining her anyway.

"You might like this movie, it's about the 1920's" she said, turning to face him.

_Was that…lust in his eyes? _Tilly thought, staring at his darkened orbs.

"Hmm" came the reply, and he turned towards the TV.

She decided to take a risk.

Steeling herself, Tilly gently lent her head on Bucky's shoulder. Even in his anxious state, he smelt fantastic.

Much to her surprise, a large hand ghosted up her shoulder and came to rest in her hair. Tilly let out a satisfied sound as strong fingers began to massage her scalp. She closed her eyes in contentment. He continued for some time before Tilly looked up his face. Strands of loose hair bordered his bright blue eyes, large lips slightly agape. Bucky moved his hand to cup her face and captured Tilly's lips in a blistering kiss.

She closed her eyes, loving the feeling of her lips moving under his. Tilly reached up to pull his hair, feeling him moan into her mouth as the kiss deepened. She smiled at the sound, the warmth travelling down to between her legs.

Bucky's metal hand reached across to grab her waist and gently pulled her up, so she straddled his lap. His hand travelled up to her breast, thumb slowly rubbing the sensitive nub under her shirt. Tilly leant back, breaking the kiss for just a moment to lift her top over her head. She quickly put her mouth on his jaw, placing kisses down his neck and bare shoulders. Bucky continued to rub her chest, his other hand gripping her hips hard enough to leave a bruise.

"Doll…" he breathed as she nipped along his collarbone "maybe we should take this elsewhere?"

She lifted her face to his and nodded, jumping quickly off him and pulling him with her. He kissed her briefly before Tilly grinned and led him to her room, metal hand clasping hers.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Tilly's back was slammed against it. A metal hand clasped her ass, making her wrap her legs around Bucky's thick waist. Their lips smashed together, neither able to feel enough of the other. Her hands messied his hair as Bucky walked them over to the bed, dropping her gently on to the soft mattress. He lent back and looked at her, chest heaving, eyes dark.

Tilly blushed and looked up at him "What is it?" she asked quietly.

Bucky looked at her "You are beautiful, you know"

She quirked an eyebrow "You're not so bad yourself"

He smiled at her and continued to kiss her, bringing one thigh up between her legs. Tilly let out a loud moan, gripping the back of his neck with slim fingers.

"Bit eager are we doll?" Bucky teased, rubbing his leg against her core.

"Bucky…please…" Tilly was passed the point of caring about the desperation in her voice, ghosting her hands over the rising swell in his pants.

He stood up quickly and pushed his sweatpants off as Tilly stripped off her panties and bra. Bucky crashed back onto her, peppering his lips down her breasts and stomach, leading down to the space between her legs. He grinned up at her before lowering his face, giving her folds a soft lick.

Tilly could've cried at how good that felt.

She moaned loudly as he ran a strong tongue along her clit, and he held down her thighs to stop her from writhing underneath him. Tilly could barely contain the pleasure she felt, bucking her hips to give him better access.

"Do you like that doll?" he asked. She moaned in reply, already missing his touch when she was so close to release.

He grinned wickedly at her "What was that?"

"Yes Bucky, please…" as she said it, he ravished her core with such force that she tumbled over the edge, gripping his hair tight as she rode out her orgasm. She felt ecstatic.

Bucky clambered back up to her, kissing her roughly and tasting her own sweetness on his lips. Tilly had barely recovered when she felt his member rubbing against her entrance. Bucky broke the kiss and whispered into her ear.

"Are you ready doll?"

Tilly didn't trust herself to speak but nodded against his cheek. After a long second, Bucky thrusted his length into her, up to the hilt. She let out a gasp, he was stretching her in ways she hadn't felt before.

He slowly pulled out, enjoying the feeling of her strong centre gripping him. He let out a low moan as he re-entered her, breath brushing over her ear.

Tilly wrapped her legs around his torso, angling her hips up to give him better access to her entrance. The next thrust hit a sensitive spot within her, and she gasped.

"Right there Bucky…oh god don't stop"

Bucky was more than happy to oblige, pushing faster into her, sweat forming on his forehead.

He lent back to watch as her face showed immense pleasure and she tumbled into another orgasm. Bucky felt her walls constrict around him and he was following soon after, his warmth spilling inside her.

They collapsed next to each other in bed, absolutely spent. Bucky lifted his arm and Tilly snuggled into his side, sighing contently into his chest.

"Thank you" she whispered to him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, pulling back to look her in the eyes. "Anytime doll" he responded, sliding his nose along the curve of her jaw before laying his head on the pillow.

Tilly listened as Bucky's breathing slowed and he drifted off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Generator Chapter 13

Tilly didn't sleep but spent the next few hours in a kind of haze, her mind filled with soft and warm thoughts. The sun was just beginning to rise when she felt the man next to her start to stir. Bucky sleepily opened his eyes to see her head still nestled in his shoulder, eyes looking out the large windows. He smiled, very happy at the way things had turned out.

Reaching across to move a stray hair from her face, Tilly looked up at him with a grin.

"Morning" she said, leaning into the touch as his hand moved to cradle her cheek.

"It is" he replied with a smirk. Tilly rolled her eyes "You know what I mean"

A low rumble was the chuckle in his chest and Tilly relished the sound.

She sighed, and propped herself up on one arm, the other holding his in place on her cheek. Tilly looked at him seriously.

"What now?"

Bucky frowned. He wasn't sure, he didn't really do this. The dames back before the war were flights of fancy, impermanent things. Tilly, apart from Steve, was one of the most permanent things in his life. He enjoyed spending time with her, not just like this, but being in her presence made him happy. Although if something like last night was to happen again, he wouldn't say no.

"You've got your thinking face on" she said, interrupting his tangent

"Well, I am thinking" he replied

"Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself" she flopped back down onto the bed.

Tilly let out a long sigh. "There's only a few things we need to cover"

Bucky nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"Firstly, do you want to keep doing this?"

Tilly's heart jumped at the lecherous grin on his face "Yes"

She shook her head, suddenly very warm "Good, me too"

"Secondly, do you want to be exclusive?"

Bucky cocked his head

"Like, do you want to date other people at the same time" she explained

He shook his head, arm tightening around her waist. "I want you all to myself"

Tilly placed a chaste kiss on his neck before facing him again.

"Ok then. Finally, who do we tell?"

Bucky frowned again. He didn't like to broadcast his personal life at the best of the times, and Steve was becoming increasingly protective of Bucky. This new development might not be the best thing to disclose.

"Can we keep it between us, for now at least"

Tilly nodded slowly, eyes filled with understanding. "Of course"

She reached up to run a thumb along his stubble, and he closed his eyes, humming at the contact. Tilly reached up and captured his lips in a soft kiss. Bucky's metal hand snakes behind her to grip her waist, eliciting a moan from his partner. They opened their mouths, tongues greedily exploring the other, bodies moulding together.

It was another hour, and another round, before Tilly finally left the bed. She had promised Wanda a lesson, and she now only had half an hour to be presentable enough for that.

Bucky lounged on the bed and watched as his naked paramour walked to the bathroom. He didn't have much planned for the day, more reading and then back to the gym. Once again, he'd eat dinner on his own, preferring the solitude to the noisy group. It was when he was with them that the painfully obvious fact that he was different was most clear. Bucky didn't hate them, but he was sure they hated him. Every bit of kindness extended felt poisoned, like there was an ulterior motive. Steve continued to remind him that this wasn't HYDRA, that people do good things for good reasons, but decades of abuse played on Bucky's mind each time he met the group. It was a hard mind-set to drop.

Which was why he was so surprised to see Tilly mingle easily, form friendships like it was second nature. Even after a level of torture he could barely comprehend, she still offered her heart out. Every day, unabashedly. How could she do it without the terror he felt?

After some time, Tilly emerged from the bathroom, bright eyed and bushy tailed. She was in plain workout gear, and Bucky enjoyed the way the tight pants hugged her frame.

"Eyes up soldier" she said with a smirk, placing her hands on the bed. He grabbed the back of her head and drowned her in a warm kiss, fingers curling in her hair.

Tilly sighed but reluctantly pulled away. "I have to go" she said, standing upright now.

"You said that last time" Bucky countered

"Now I really have to go" she turned her back on him and sauntered towards the door. "I've added you to my room list, stay as long as you like" Tilly winked as she left the room.

Sighing contently, Bucky lay back on the bed. Ten more minutes couldn't hurt...

Tilly's mind was spinning as she entered the sparring room, dropping her bottle and towel next to the mat. _What the hell is happening_ she thought.

During the night she had been partially convinced that the whole thing was a dream, that even though she didn't sleep, somehow she was, and this was dreaming. But when he had woken up and touched her like that...

_Definitely not a dream_ she thought with a grin.

Since being introduced to the world, Tilly had had a few flings, but nothing stuck. She hadn't trusted anyone enough to be herself around them. But with Bucky? There was no preamble, no expectations. He already knew her inside and out. _Maybe this was inevitable_

Tilly was broken out of her reverie by a light touch on her shoulder. She turned towards the feeling only to see nothing but hear a low giggle on her other side. She whipped round to see Wanda next to her, mischievous grin on her face.

"Wakey wakey" she laughed.

Tilly didn't say anything but pulled the other woman to a tight embrace. At least this made sense.

They both went to get the box of Lego which had become a permanent fixture in their training.

"Off in fairyland this morning teach?" asked Wanda, not unkindly.

"Yeah just had a strange night. Remembering the past y'know" Tilly explained.

Wanda nodded in understanding. Another person who would get what a shit place HYDRA was.

"Lets get started" Tilly clapped her hands, Wanda tipping the pieces on to the ground. They had actually made some incredible things, at one point building the Eiffel Tower using only their abilities. Now Tilly wanted to up the anti.

She produced a thick ribbon and presented it to Wanda "Wrap this over your eyes" she commanded. The other woman looked confused, but obliged nonetheless. Tilly had helped her so much recently that she was willing to agree to almost anything the woman said.

Tilly held up two pieces in front of Wanda's obscured face. "Click these together"

Wanda frowned "but I can't see"

"Would you need to see if they were being held in your hands?" countered Tilly. "No, you could feel them. Do it with your hands first, then powers"

Wanda nodded and took the pieces from Tilly. They clicked together easily in her hands.

"Good work" said Tilly appreciatively "now with the red light"

Wanda's mouth quirked at her pet name for her powers. Focusing hard, she tried to find the pieces in the space. It took her a long time, but she eventually raised the two pieces in front of her face.

Tilly held her breath as the Lego danced in front of her. After what felt like eons, the pieces gently clicked together. Wanda lifted the ribbon as Tilly enveloped her in a bear hug.

"Amazing!" her teacher exclaimed. "Let's keep going!"

They worked for another few hours, until Tilly could see Wanda getting sloppy with exhaustion. They packed the pieces away and travelled to the kitchen, lunch having become their ritual now.

Wanda was always famished after the sessions and Tilly was happy to keep her company as the woman wolfed down an enormous amount of food. She idly wondered how much Tony's food bill was, it seemed that everyone ate a lot.

"How are you feeling now?" Wanda asked, finally putting down her knife and fork.

Tilly gave her a confused look "Good, why?"

The other woman took a sip of water "After your night"

_Oh right _"Yeah much better" Tilly smiled "always fun to hang out with you"

Wanda looked down, embarrassed, before tidying up her food. They chatted for a bit longer before the Sokovian excused herself to see Vision. Tilly wandered back to her bedroom, idly wondering if Bucky would still be there.

He wasn't, but Tilly did appreciate that he had at least tried to make the bed. Flopping onto the couch, she teed up more Arrested Development. _Should I ask Bucky to join me?_ She wondered. Is that what partners do? Were they even partners?

Tilly decided to invite him, she could watch TV even with a friend, so it wasn't that strange.

000

They watched a few episodes together, Tilly's legs draped over his thighs. Bucky absentmindedly traced circles on her calves, and she felt a special kind of calm. As the time grew closer to dinner, Tilly decided to tempt the beast.

"Come to dinner" she said

Bucky rolled his eyes but didn't look away from the TV.

"Sure, where are you taking me?" He replied

"You know what I mean" she said.

Bucky sighed. Obviously, this discussion was inevitable, but did it have to be now?

"I don't eat with them"

"Why not?"

"You know why"

"I can guess" Tilly scooted forward, so her glutes pressed against his thighs. "Tell me why Bucky" she whispered.

He finally looked at her, eyes full of emotion. He reached over to switch off the TV before turning back to her. Tilly waited, not wanting or willing to change the course of the conversation.

"I worry that they'll hurt me. Or that they'll give me back to HYDRA. Or that..."

He swallowed and looked down. This was difficult.

"Or that I'll hurt them."

Tilly nodded slowly and began rubbing Bucky's flesh shoulder.

"Bucky"

He didn't respond, head still down.

"Bucky" she repeated, gently turning his head towards her.

"You're a good person"

He shook his head roughly. "No I'm not"

"Yes you are!" she nearly shouted.

He kept shaking his head.

"Bucky, what is the point of being free if you trap yourself?" she demanded.

Bucky raised his eyes to hers, tears forming.

"I don't know" he answered honestly.

Tilly stroked his face, heart swelling with emotion. "Be free Bucky. Don't hold yourself back"

He nodded into her palm, eyes closing.

"I'll try"

She smiled. "That's all I ask"


	14. Chapter 14

Generator Chapter 14

Well, she had done it. Bucky was gingerly, awkwardly, coming to dinner with the gang. Tilly beamed with pride as they made their way to the dining room. She wanted to wrap her arm around his waist, but he had reiterated that he wasn't ready for people to know yet, and she respected that. If he wanted a private life, that was ok too.

They stopped outside the door to the kitchen, Tilly turning to face him. Bucky's eyes were worried and darted around as if the shadows would jump at him. She gently squeezed his hands, grounding him to this moment.

"You'll be fine, I promise" she said

He smiled sadly at her "You can't promise that"

Tilly grinned "No, but I can promise that if anyone try's something I'll blow them up"

His mouth quirked up "You'd blow me up too"

She shrugged "Collateral damage, what can I say"

Bucky surprised her then by pulling her flush with him. He lent down, mouth pressed onto hers and she willingly opened up to him. Tilly sighed at the warm contact, revelling in the closeness, the softness.

Bucky pulled back quickly, steeling himself to enter the kitchen.

He walked quietly behind her as she led him to sit with Steve, letting him descend in the middle seat. Tilly figured he would be most comfortable with them two.

"Good to see you Buck" smiled Steve, the crease reaching his eyes.

Bucky just grunted, clearly uncomfortable.

Thankfully Wanda, who Tilly made a silent promise to thank later, piped up with: "Great news teach, Banner says we'll have the location of a HYDRA rathole within 24 hours"

Tilly lent forward "Seriously? Oh, fuck yeah"

"Who's coming with me to annihilate some Nazi's?" she asked, looking purposely around the room.

"I'm here for you" replied Wanda, reaching forward to squeeze the other woman's hand encouragingly "In any case, need to practice those skills"

"I'm in too" came Tony's voice. He had looked surprised as Bucky had come in, but now his short attention span had shifted "Can't wait to see the light show again"

She turned towards Steve "You in Cap?"

He nodded "Not that you'll need it" he joked

She shrugged "Every little helps old man"

Steve rolled his eyes. "You coming Buck?"

Bucky nodded "Tilly will cause world war three otherwise"

Nat chuckled, "Very true"

"Is not!" Tilly crossed her arms indignantly, which only made most of the room crack up in giggles.

"Our comments are from a place of love" said Tony, with a shit-eating grin.

"Keep it up and I'll blow up your arc prototype"

"Not my baby!" he practically yelled.

Pepper frowned next to him "I thought I was your baby?" she asked quizzically, mischief in her eyes

"Well you are babe, but the reactor is like my baby y'know…" he quickly backtracked

She raised a hand to her mouth "You love it more than me, don't you?"

"No of course not Pepper!" he pleaded

The room was alive with raucous laughter, and Tilly distinctly saw Bucky crack a smile. A few minutes later and Sam appeared from the kitchen, announcing dinner was ready. She walked up with Bucky as he filled a plate and they sat back down. She sat, chin resting on her hand, and watched as the room hungrily consumed their plates.

"What happens if you eat, Till?" asked Wanda, looking at Tilly curiously.

Tilly frowned. "Depends what it is. I have to absorb Deuterium every so often to keep my cells full, but that's not food. If I ate like a pizza or something, I'd probably puke it back up"

"Gross" said Wanda, scrunching her face up.

Tilly sat back with a smirk. "Say what you like but is that any grosser than what happens to the food you eat?" she winked.

Wanda just rolled her eyes at her.

A few more hours passed pleasantly enough before they began to vacate the kitchen. Tilly walked Bucky back to his room and they paused outside the door.

He lent against the doorframe; arms crossed on his chest. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"So, how did you find that?" she asked

He shrugged, but a small smile graced his lips "It was fine"

Tilly nodded "No one died"

"That's a low bar" he commented

"Baby steps" she said, raising a hand to his cheek "It was nice to have you there"

Bucky cover her hand with his metal one, leaning into her soft palm.

"Thank you" he said simply

Tilly nodded "Anytime"

She quickly looked both ways down the hall before capturing his lips with her own. Smooth, soft skin moved under her sensitive mouth. He opened his lips, wet tongue darting out and making her groan in pleasure. Tilly pushed herself against him, her right-hand tangling into his untied hair. She felt his lust growing as a strong muscle pushed against her stomach, and she smiled into his mouth. Bucky's human hand ran along her back, causing her to shiver in anticipation, before reaching to clasp under her ass. He lifted her up and she eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Open the door doll" he breathed, and she marvelled at the sheer want in his eyes, nearly black the pupils were so big. She nodded and untangled her hand to push the handle, the door opening with a satisfying click. Tilly pressed her lips to his again as walked them into the apartment, pushing the door closed behind them. She could feel him continue to stiffen between her legs, the sensation dampening her own core. He rushed them to the bedroom as she teasingly rubbed her hips into him, enjoying the groan that cascaded into her mouth from him. She suddenly felt the soft comforter beneath her as he dropped her unceremoniously onto the bed. Tilly huffed as she looked up at him, need and want clear on his face. Her insides squirmed.

"Take your clothes off for me doll" he commanded, and she immediately did, shucking off her pants and shirt until she was left in panties and bra.

"All of it" he clarified, the hungry look increasing.

Tilly propped herself up on her elbows. "Uh uh, you have to match first"

Bucky paused for just a moment before quickly taking off his jeans and tee. His arousal was pressing deliciously through his boxers, and she licked her lips.

"Is this what you want?" he questioned, placing his hands on either side of her and crawling up to her face, eyes never leaving hers.

"Absolutely" she agreed, laying down so her hands could pull his face to hers. Their lips crashed into each other, moans intermingling as he rolled his hips into hers. She felt his mouth move to her neck, peppering kisses down to her chest. His metal hand snaked behind her back to unclip her bra, and she gratefully shrugged it off. Bucky captured a pert breast in his mouth and Tilly couldn't prevent the loud gasp and arched back that came with it. His flesh hand began to rub circles around the sensitive area between her legs.

"Already so excited" he murmured into her nipple, continuing his ministrations as her hips bucked into the touch.

"Bucky…please…" Tilly exhaled, the need in her belly only growing stronger.

She was surprised at the speed and skill at which he removed both her and his underwear and before she could catch her breath, he was sliding into her.

Tilly moaned at the sensation, on the edge between pleasure and exquisite pain. Bucky's eyes were closed above her, suspended in their moment of closeness.

A moment of stillness passed before Bucky thrusted into her with extreme intensity and speed. Tilly could only grip onto his shoulder and roll with the pleasure that the friction was producing.

"Come for me" he panted out, head hanging low over hers, hair tickling her eyes. She came undone at his words, pleasure flowing out from her core to all parts of her. He followed soon after, warmth spilling inside her.

They slowly untangled and she nestled herself in his shoulder once again. Tilly had never felt so warm, so safe with someone before and she sighed at the feeling.

Bucky tucked a stray hair behind her ear before placing a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight doll"

"Goodnight Bucky"

000

Bucky woke to see that Tilly had positioned herself face down on the bed, left arm and leg still lazily draped over him. He knew she was awake, she always was, but with her seemingly not paying attention it gave him some time to think over last night.

He had been surprised at how well everything went. Naturally he still had nagging thoughts and anxieties, like if the team liked him as much as they claimed to. But despite his expectations, Bucky had actually enjoyed himself. He began to see it through Tilly's lens, the joy of the comradery and friendship. He knew that it would still be some time before he could fully lower his guard around them, but to make a start was exciting.

Bucky was pondering whether to tell Tilly he was awake when a lilting voice came over the speaker.

"Sargent Barnes, the HYDRA cell has been identified. Mr Stark requests your presence in the war room in 35 minutes"

Tilly's face shot up, wide grin on her lips

"Showtime"


	15. Chapter 15

**TW: Gore, violence. **

Generator Chapter 15

Tilly was excited, so excited that it had begun to worry some of her co-workers.

Bucky and Tilly had both been subjected to torture at the hands of HYDRA, but the way it affected them was very different. In the Winter Soldiers case, it gave him a simmering anger that manifested in perfectly executed kill shots. It made him distant and closed off, a hardened person with an emotional centre. While he had the persona of someone with great mental strength and fortitude, at times he felt like a child. Scared, alone, damaged and lost.

Tilly however had reacted very differently. Instead of an emotional core, her feelings were intense and random, always at the surface. She swore, trusted, sang, danced and live life for all it was worth. Yes, they had hurt her, but that didn't mean that others would. Her attacks were not always accurate, but physical manifestations of her emotions, explosive and dangerous. So when they were summoned to the war room to prepare, she was practically bouncing. The bone chilling loathing she had for those that had hurt her was ready to be unleashed.

Tilly had gone back to her place to change, not wanting to arouse suspicion by wearing the same clothes as last night. Bucky gave her a quick kiss goodbye, promising to meet her in the war room.

She arrived at the meeting room soon after, sliding into a seat between the Captain and Bucky. Steve gave her a warm smile and she looked around to see Tony at the front, Wanda across the table. She gave a small wave which Tilly returned gratefully.

Tony cleared his throat. "Alright. Let's get started"

He turned to face the screen behind him, suddenly flickering to life.

"We have enough intel to tell us that this place-"a cream building flicked onto the screen, large enough to be a palace "is housing a few HYDRA defectors in the Argentinean forest"

The view panned out, showing the building to be surrounded by dense jungle. Several men in combat gear wandered around, large weapons resting against their chests.

"We've got to be careful" said Rodgers and Tilly turned to face him "They've been there some time and have built substantial defences" He pointed at the men on the screen "They work shifts, always at least a dozen minding the compound. The people inside never leave, all food and required items are brought in by armoured truck"

Tilly nodded. The Captain was second to none in military strategy.

"What's the go?" she asked

He looked at her "You and Wanda storm the main building, Buck and Tony can snipe off the stragglers. I'll lead a distraction from the south"

She nodded, pleased with the plan.

"Are you ready for this Nuka? You don't have any military training" Tony frowned.

Tilly smiled widely, like a shark smelling blood "I'm ready"

000

They all piled into the quinjet, and Tilly could feel the electricity in the air. Finally, she was going to execute some retribution on those bastards.

She strapped in and eyed the large machine gun in Bucky's hands. A large part of her wanted to hold his hand, squeeze it before the inevitable battle, but it was just too public here. His eyes raised to hers and gave a small nod and she smiled at the warmth.

"So Nuka..." came Tony's inquiring voice. He was sat opposite her, already sporting his mechanical suit.

"Explain something to me"

She waited for him to continue

"You don't sleep right? Why?"

She shook her head "Nope. I mean, why do you sleep?"

He frowned "Because I get tired"

"And you get tired because..."

"I run out of energy"

"Bingo. And I produce enough energy to not need sleep. Same for eating, plus if I ate now my system doesn't know what to do with it, comes right back up"

Tony nodded slowly, understanding. "Can you drink?"

She shrugged "Water absorbs ok, but anything heavier feels gross"

His eyes glittered mischievously "Whisky?"

Tilly rolled her eyes "There's more to life than drinking, Stark"

"Is there?" he mused, winking at her.

"How did you get like that Tills? The cells I mean?" asked Wanda

Tilly stiffened imperceptibly, but Bucky saw the hardness in her eyes.

"Surgery" she answered gruffly.

Wanda's brows knitted together "How would..."

"Painful surgery" Tilly responded in a tone that invited no further discussion.

Wanda dipped her head down, embarrassed that she had apparently hit a soft spot.

Tilly took a long breath, trying to calm the rising anger. Thinking about her predicament usually put her in a bad mood, and she needed to focus now.

The rest of the trip was had in relative silence. Steve attempted to make conversation with Bucky, but all the responses were nonverbal. The danger of the situation was extremely apparent, the intel had shown that they would be outmanned, if not outgunned.

Bucky had only once seen Tilly use her powers, and that was in her rescue. Even then, she'd been wearing a thick lead suit that limited her abilities. He smiled; it would be interesting to see her at her best.

The hours ticked by and soon the jet was descending into jungle. Tony had explained that they would drop a couple of clicks out and trek through the forest, the quinjet giving them away before they arrived otherwise.

They stepped out into the lush green jungle and Tilly sucked fresh air into her lungs. The scents were new, but sweet, and the bright green of the jungle was both alien and welcoming. The sound of foreign birds and animals was heard, a kind of delicious symphony to their arrival.

Steve and Bucky led the group, both wielding large machetes to slice through the undergrowth. Wanda trailed behind and Tilly kept back to stick with her.

"I'm sorry if I upset you" came a small voice from the Sokovian.

Tilly sighed gently "It's ok, I know you didn't intend to. I'm just not able to talk about that stuff yet"

Wanda nodded, looking into Tilly's grey eyes "That's fine, more than fine"

Tilly smiled at her "C'mon, let's go kill some bad guys"

Wanda grinned at her "That I can get behind"

"If I tell shield at you, protect yourself" Tilly explained "means I'll be dumping radiation or force, neither of which you should be subject to"

"Got it" agreed Wanda

"And don't worry about hurting me" Tilly winked at her "I'm pretty tough"

"More worried you'll hurt yourself to be honest" the other woman chuckled.

Tilly didn't hold back the eye roll that followed

After twenty minutes the soldiers stopped and turned back towards them.

"We're close" announced the Captain, as he surveyed the surroundings.

"Buck, head up that hill, give us comms when you have line of sight"

Bucky nodded, giving a discreet look to Tilly. She smiled back at him, praying with him out of the main fight he wouldn't be hurt.

Steve watched as he disappeared into the jungle. "I'll swing round to the south now. Once I give the all clear, Wanda and Tilly storm it. Tony, take to the air"

"Rodger that, Captain" came Tony's mechanical voice, face obscured by his helmet.

Tilly shivered. She felt like a coiled spring, adrenaline flowing and ready to strike.

It was another ten minutes before they were all in position. Wanda and Tilly were now alone, just past the tree line that separated them from the palace. Steve's voice came over their ear comms.

"Alright, we're in position. Give 'em hell girls"

The woman smiled at each other before striding out. Wanda immediately brought up a red ball of energy around her, prepared for the onslaught of bullets.

Tilly had a more offensive plan.

Before the small army had worked out what was happening, she raised her hands above her head and ignited a green ball in them. Tilly angled it towards them and pushed out a huge amount of energy.

Everything within a dozen meters was levelled, flesh and mortar being torn indiscriminately. The shockwave took out at least six of the men, with the closest two being turned into a kind of soup on the ground. The ones further back were now bleached bones, muscle and sinew haphazardly hanging from the ivory sticks. The two that had avoided the blast opened fire, and she grunted as a bullet embedded itself in her shoulder. The gunfire did not last long before two perfect holes graced the attacker's foreheads. Tilly smiled, knowing exactly who performed those shots.

Wanda's hand ghosted over her shoulder and Tilly turned to face her

"You're shot" the woman said

Tilly grunted, adrenaline from the attack numbing most of the pain "I'll take care of it later"

Before any more was said, Tilly strode into the building and was surprised at the apparent lack of guards. She turned to face Wanda but as she did so, thick steel curtains slammed down. She heard a reverberating _thunk_ around the house as metal slid over every external door and window.

"Fuck!" she shouted. She was trapped. Again.

"What the hell is happening?" came Bucky's strained voice over the comms

"I don't know, she's locked inside" replied Wanda

"Can you hear us Tilly?" asked Steve, concern colouring his voice

"Yeah I can hear you" Tilly huffed. She was too hopped up to be scared, too confident in her abilities to be frightened.

"Stay there, we'll find another way in" the Captain replied

"Sure sure" she said. Easier to placate them then to let them argue with her going further in.

Tilly walked quietly through the building. It was ominously quiet, and she kept an energy ball live in her hands in case. The house was just as grand on the inside, but something told her that the nondescript door leading to the basement would be her best bet for finding the HYDRA deserters. Slightly crouching and tucking her elbows in, Tilly crept down the wooden stairs, into the unknown.

000

Bucky's breath hitched when he had seen the red blood blossom on Tilly's shirt. How could she be so reckless with herself? He felt grim satisfaction at being able to quickly take care of the bastard who had done it, not to mention the smile she threw him in his sights. She really was going to be the death of him.

He'd watched as she entered the house and swore as the metal sheets had covered the available exits. Bucky trusted her to not die, but not stay put. It was a certainty that she was going to get herself in more trouble. He got up from his sniping position and ran down the hill, hoping to prevent as much unnecessary carnage as possible.

000

Tilly's hunch was right, and the basement was much too large for the size of the house. She melted off the lock of a strong door and let it lazily swing open. She padded into the room, observing.

It was a bomb shelter, or perhaps a bunker. The walls, floor and ceiling were all thick concrete and Tilly could feel the oppressive weight of lead at it's centre. There was a bed in the corner as well as a makeshift kitchen and dining table with chairs. The entire place looked surprisingly lived in, as if the occupier had been expecting trouble for some time.

The occupier who was staring at her, large kitchen knife threateningly extended.

It was a pudgy man with a beer gut and thinning hair. His face was squashed up in anger, but his eyes showed an appropriate level of fear. He wore a bland white shirt, the pits already soaked through, and black slacks. Sweat made his clammy skin glisten in the harsh fluorescence.

Tilly smiled at him, baring her teeth in contempt. "Hello again, Dr Fischer"

"You bitch!" he screamed at her, the octave nearing hysteria. Tilly only raised an eyebrow.

"I'm guessing you heard about poor Bain" she said, eyes not leaving his.

"You murdered him", his thick German accent becoming more apparent "your creator will be so disappointed"

Tilly nodded slowly, crossing her arms over her chest. Her hand brushed her shirt, only now noticing just how soaked it was.

"That I did. Now, be a good man and tell me where my 'creator' is" she asked

Dr Fischer laughed at her and she scowled at him. "Tell you? So you can murder him like you murdered Bain?"

"That's the plan" she shrugged

He shook his head violently "No, no, I'll take that to my grave"

Tilly sighed. "I guess we'll have to change that" she said ominously, before retrieving a roll of duct tape from a table next to her. "Take a seat doctor"

000

_Azzan_

Tilly had been woken at some ungodly hour and wrenched from her bare cot. She was now tied down to heavy metal board, dressed only in underwear and a bra. She tried to lift her head up, but it was held down by a thick leather band. An assistant in a white coat had secured the same bands along her arms, legs and torso. While Tilly could've struggled, similar events had quickly taught her that that only extended the inevitable pain.

She thought she had been to every room of this oppressive place, but she had not been here before. The room was double level, some kind of observation deck on her left with a dark metal fence surrounding it. To her right was a single computer, screen pointed away from her and propped on top of a stainless-steel desk. Looking up, she could see a needle suspended from a metal frame, not yet pointing over her, but no doubt that would change.

This rudimentary assessment complete, Tilly simply looked forward. Nothing to be done anyway.

Some time later the sound of expensive shoes on the dirty floor could be heard reverberating around the room. Tilly looked as far right as the band would allow and glimpsed as a grotesque man in a white coat stood beside her head. He leaned his face down to hers and Tilly recoiled, a stench escaping his mouth.

"What a very exciting day" the man drawled, black eyes alight with excitement.

Tilly said nothing, watching the room carefully as more people entered and checked various dials and equipment.

"You see, X64…" the man continued, not taking his eyes off her "Some of our more intelligent members recently discovered a sustainable form of nuclear fusion. One to rival fission"

He smiled down at her, but it held no warmth.

"The problem is that the process is over too quickly you see, it needs constant activation…" he ran a greasy finger along her jaw, and she flinched. He smiled wider.

"So, I had an idea, what if we placed that fusion process inside a person? Tiny amounts in each cell" he mused. Tilly stayed silent.

"The way we do it, X64, is this lazer" he gestured to the needle "this lazer, will open each cell, and place a small amount of the required material inside"

His eyes met hers again.

"It was the perfect plan, but the human body cannot take such stress it seems. Until you came along…" he grinned disgustingly, and Tilly felt a shiver down her spine.

"Perhaps you will not expire on the table as they did. Perhaps this time it will work"

He caressed her cheek again, trying to draw a reaction from her. She kept her face carefully blank even though her insides were reeling. What kind of sick fuck…

"I certainly hope you do not die" he finished, before wandering over to the computer.

"Let us begin" he announced in a clear voice and Tilly turned to see a crowd had formed on the observation deck. One of them had thinning hair and a beer gut.

The lazer buzzed and lowered, stopping a few centimetres above the top of her head. There was a moment of silence.

Then it began.

A fine green light emitted from the end of the needle and Tilly screamed. She screamed like she had never screamed before. The pain was insane, it was indescribable. The forced drowning was relaxing swim, the burning alive a massage. She screamed as each one of her cells, each pain point, each possible sensor, was ripped open and the material was forced in. She screamed because she knew that the disgusting doctor was right, she would not expire on this table.

000

_Present_

Dr Fischer was now taped to the chair, arms and legs stuck from moving and shirt removed. Tilly stood over him, kitchen knife that he once wielded now in her hands. She ran her fingers along the blade, eyes roving over him.

"Are you going to tell me where he is?" she asked again.

The doctor spat at her "Over my dead body"

"Your funeral" she muttered, crouching in front of him.

"I'm going to split open your stomach and choke you on your intestines" she said matter-of-factly.

The doctor's eyes widened "You wouldn't…"

She didn't let him finish, instead slicing a jagged line from his left to his right hip, watching as the blood flowed freely and exposed the layers of fat and muscle.

Dr Fischer shrieked, trying to curl forward in pain but the duct tape around his shoulders held him upright. Tilly continued her assault, drawing a line up on either side until his abdomen had a flap, exposing his grisly insides.

She went to reach into his abdominal cavity, ready to pull out the pale tube that snaked inside him, as he screamed "Bangkok!"

Tilly stopped, raising her eyes to him "Bangkok?"

"He's in Bangkok" the man continued, head still hung in pain "I don't know where, but he told me to contact the Thai Yakuza if I ever needed him…"

Tilly mused on this. It wasn't much, but it was a starting point. Clearly this guy didn't know anything else worth knowing and she made a decision.

"Thank you, Doctor," she purred, rising to a stand "You have been very helpful"

He exhaled once and she plunged the knife through his heart.

000

Bucky was panicking. Steve and he were still looking for another way into the building when the barriers suddenly slid away. They'd lost communication with Tilly a few minutes ago and he had begun to suspect the worst.

Which is why he was so elated when she stumbled out of the front door, right hand clutching her shoulder.


	16. Chapter 16

Generator Chapter 16

Tilly staggered out into the muted sunlight, surprised to see the whole team gathered. Bucky rushed over to her and she gratefully leaned into his strong arms embracing her.

"Are you ok?" he murmured, only loud enough for her to hear

She nodded, now painfully aware of the wound in her shoulder. "I'm fine but you're kind of blowing our cover here Barnes" she winked at him.

He quickly stepped back from her, realizing that he was holding her in a distinctly non-friend way.

"Glad you're ok" he said loudly, and Wanda gave him a quizzical look before walking up to Tilly.

"What happened in there?" the woman asked, concern on her face.

"Our guy's in Bangkok" Tilly announced, smiling triumphantly.

Tony's electronic voice piped up "How'd you figure that Nuka?"

"The deserter told me"

"He could've been lying" frowned Steve

Tilly shook her head slowly, smiling darkly "He wasn't"

She didn't miss the stony expression that flicked across Bucky's face before it disappeared again. He was the only one who would have an inkling of the fate Dr Fischer had been subjected to.

"Let's head back to base and get you cleaned up" Wanda snaked an arm around her waist to support her and they hobbled towards the forest.

That was when everything fell to shit for the second time that day.

A low whistling sounded over them as Steve yelled "Grenade!"

Wanda raised her hands to contain the blast, red energy emanating from her hands. Tilly struggled to stay upright but strode towards the explosion, ready to absorb the energy.

She was interrupted by Bucky knocking the wind out of her and pushing her to the ground.

"They're shooting at us!" came Tony's panicked voice accompanied by the whine of his hands starting up. Bucky pulled Tilly into a sitting position, careful to not hurt her shoulder. They were behind a boulder, their backs flush with the rock. He was quickly preparing the rifle, crouching and ready to strike. Bullets whizzed through the air above them and Tilly saw that Wanda had found a similar position of safety but still holding the grenade explosion, effort clear on her face.

Tilly lent forward to crawl towards the roiling mass but was held back by a large hand on her chest.

"Stay here" Bucky growled, preparing to shoot.

"No way" she yelled "I can help"

He gave her a pained look "You're hurt"

"And? Doesn't mean I can't help" she shoved his hand away and began to move

"Please" he said quietly, and she turned, surprised at the feeling in his voice. "I don't want to lose you again, not while I can remember"

She sighed and stroked his face "I'll be fine, I promise"

He gave her a small smile and she took that as permission, scurrying quickly to the suspended explosion. Wanda was sweating bullets at the effort and Tilly couldn't get there fast enough.

She crawled in front of the mass and sat on her knees in front of it. "You can let it go Wanda" she yelled and the Sokovian opened her eyes. Nodding, she opened a small hole in the shield, allowing the explosion to filter slowly towards Tilly.

Tilly felt the prickling on her skin as the cells activated, lighting her in a warm green glow. After a moment, the whole of the grenade was drained, and Wanda relaxed gratefully. Tilly stood up, the excess energy needed to go somewhere, and she had a good idea where.

She allowed the radiation to form a kind of force around her, not as precise as Wanda's shield, but enough that the approaching bullets flicked off in random directions before they could strike her.

Tilly strode forward, arms lowered and palms forward. Her eyes were the most striking, the grey irises replaced by a bright green light. She was an angel of death, ready to exact her judgement upon the wicked. The assailants slowly realised that the bullets were doing nothing and turned, ready to flee. Tilly planted her feet and raised her left hand, power coursing out of her body.

There was an impossibly bright light and a few screams. Bucky felt a rush of heat pass over his face, like standing too close to a forest fire. Then it was over, charred corpses on the ground and blown gristle further out. She lowered her hand and focused on evening her breaths. The green glow was gone, all power expelled.

"Jesus Christ" came an electronic voice, and Tilly turned to see the team looking at her with a wide array of expressions. Wanda was awed, Bucky and Steve simply looked grim. Tony had his hands raised defensively.

"Keep your distance there Nuka" he continued; hands still pointed at her "don't feel like being turned into barbeque today"

She furrowed her brow "It's still me Tony" she explained, and he slowly lowered his hands

"Yeah, wasn't sure with all the green stuff if we had a Banner style situation" he said, clicking open his helmet to speak more clearly.

"That was incredible Tills" breathed Wanda, eyes wide. Tilly shrugged, flushing at the praise. "Let's just get back" she said.

They all agreed and slowly made their way back to the jet.

000

Bucky clipped himself into the seat next to Tilly. After their embrace Steve hadn't stopped shooting confused glances his way and Bucky was careful to avoid them. He'd have to explain soon, but he hoped he could draw it out for some time.

He looked at the woman sitting next to him, marvelling at how well she was keeping it together. He could actually empathise with her, knowing exactly how it felt to get back at the people that made you. But he also knew that it was a double-edged sword, that while it was gratifying to be free of them, to make them suffer as you had, it could just as quickly turn you into a monster. The Winter Soldier had been a monster and while Steve told him he only did those things because of the brainwashing; Bucky knew that that wasn't always the case.

The truth was that he had enjoyed having a mission, a purpose. Whether or not he agreed with it, the lack of control had been somewhat liberating. Now he was back to himself, now he had free will, he was terrified. At least while he was with the Avengers, he still had missions and assignments, but the world was more blurry, less clear cut. Trying to decipher what was right and wrong in this world was much harder.

But Tilly thrived on that, thrived on the lack of definition and decision. She was happy to be free of her chains and masters and he wanted to feel that way too. Now though, he was worried she was going down the road that he was trying to leave behind. The one where each day is marked only by the quest for revenge.

"Body scan" she murmured next to him, and a familiar green light travelled down her body, extinguishing everywhere but the wound in her left shoulder. Tilly turned her head to examine the wound. It was bleeding a lot, and the bullet was lodged deep but thankfully it was clean, no shrapnel.

Placing her right hand gently over the wound she said "Pop left shoulder"

The cells just under the bullet activated and pushed out a small amount of force, enough that the metallic bullet dropped into her hand. She winced.

Looking around, Bucky offered her a small plastic bag. She dropped the bullet in it "Thanks"

He just nodded at her. Tony and Wanda were staring at her, waiting to see what happened next.

"Guessing no one has any morphine?" she asked with a grin

They shook their heads, eyes still on her.

"Figures" she mumbled. Tilly gritted her teeth; this was going to hurt.

"Heal left shoulder" she said, and the wound glowed bright green as the flesh began to grow and knit together. She grimaced through the pain, knuckles going white with the strain.

Tilly's natural ability to not die did not grant her accelerated healing. However, the main limit to the speed at which the body heals wounds is the lack of available energy. When you break a bone or are recovering from an illness you are weaker, more lethargic, hungrier. Bucky and Steve have quicker metabolisms which give them faster healing, their bodies more efficient with each calorie. For Tilly, enough energy was available to make healing nearly instantaneous. But because it was an unnatural process, and the body wasn't built for it, it caused a significant amount of pain. The nerves and veins had pain sensors and the speed at which they came back together was very uncomfortable.

Most of the time she left injuries to heal on their own, but this one was clean and painful. Better a few seconds of discomfort than weeks of rehabilitation.

A moment later and the green glow extinguished, leaving behind clear skin. Not even a scar protruded. Wanda and Tony gawked at her.

"Any other party tricks?" asked the billionaire.

She smiled at him "Not yet"

Wanda closed her mouth "How did you do that…?"

Tilly shrugged, wincing at the twang of the new muscles "Just loaded up the cells and sent them to work"

Wanda nodded "Do you need to tell them out loud?"

Tilly shook her head "No, but it helps me focus"

She felt another pair of eyes on her and turned her head to see blue orbs examining her shoulder. "I'm fine" she said quietly, but he didn't move his gaze.

She tugged down the shoulder of her shirt "See?"

Bucky's hand gently stroked the fresh skin and Tilly suppressed a pleasurable shiver.

Neither missed the raised eyebrows on Steve's face.

000

They went their separate ways after arriving back at the compound. Tony and Wanda went to bed but the Sokovian gave Tilly a tight embrace before sleepily wandering to her apartment. Tony made them promise to meet early the next morning for a debrief, but the day had drained them too much to do it now. Steve followed Bucky to his room and Tilly suppressed a grin. No doubt the Winter Soldier would get the fourth degree tonight.

"You and Tilly huh?" asked Steve, arms crossed in the doorway to Bucky's apartment. The other man kept his back to the Captain as he took apart his rifle.

"I don't know what you're talking about" replied Bucky and heard the sigh.

"Look at me Buck"

Bucky slowly turned around, desperately wishing to be anywhere but here.

"What?"

"You know what"

"It's none of your business"

Steve sighed again and Bucky resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why was he being scolded? He was an adult, able to make his own decisions.

"I'm happy for you, Buck"

That was surprising

"You are?" he asked incredulously

Steve smiled a warm smile "Of course I am. Tilly seems like a great gal and if she makes you happy…" he shrugged. Bucky felt his heart warm.

"Just be careful" he continued seriously. Bucky nodded quickly, he agreed there. "And if she hurts you, I'll help you take her out" he winked

Bucky beamed, there was the scrappy kid he knew from Brooklyn.

"Thanks Steve" said Bucky and the Captain nodded, happy with the outcome.

"I'll let you sleep then" he finished gruffly and left out the door.

Bucky stripped off his dusty clothes and wandered to the bathroom, excited for the warmth of a shower. He'd wanted to keep their relationship quiet for longer but today had shown him just how much he already cared for her. When the firefight had started, and he couldn't keep her safe his breath had caught in his throat. She was that connection between who he was and who he was becoming, and it made him feel far less alone. It made him confident that change was possible and that it was good.


	17. Chapter 17

Generator Chapter 17

Tilly started at the soft knocks on her door. It was over two hours since the team had come back and she was happily flicking through a book Tony had lent her. It was a collection of comic book costumes and he had told her to pick her favourite, something she was eagerly completing.

She rose from the bed to open the door for the mystery knocker, who was not so mysterious when she opened the door to piercing blue eyes.

"Hello stranger" she greeted, leaning her slim body against the doorframe "To what do I owe the pleasure"

He kept looking at her and she gasped as Bucky forced his lips onto hers. Tilly groaned at the sudden contact, warm hands unconsciously tangling into his shaggy hair. His metal hand gripped tightly around her waist, his flesh one pulling her jaw to deepen the kiss. They backed towards the bed and Tilly heard him kick the door shut behind her. They collapsed onto the duvet, bodies still entangled and the soft sounds of their lips moving against each other.

000

They lay together in her bed, Tilly's face propped up on his muscled chest. His eyes were on her as he ghosted small circles on her biceps. She sighed at the gentle contact.

"Steve approves" came his voice, accompanied by the rumble of his chest.

Tilly looked up at him "You told him?"

He shook his head "He worked it out"

"That's good then" she said sincerely. Tilly understood Bucky's need for privacy but could tell keeping secrets from his best friend was not in his nature.

"Tilly…" she looked at him and was surprised at the emotion in his voice.

"Don't let the revenge consume you"

She averted her gaze

"The doctor?"

"Yeah"

Tilly sighed. She couldn't explain the fire that burned inside her, the rage that flowed through her veins when she thought of the pain that had been inflicted on her. But if anyone would understand, if anyone would know the end result it was Bucky.

"I'll try" she said.

He smiled at her and stroked her cheek "That's all I ask"

000

Morning crept over them both, a lazy ascent into the day. Bucky wriggled out from under his paramour's arms, despite her groans of protest. She watched as he slowly redressed.

"Where are you off to?"

"Gym I think" he replied, and she sat up, the sheets pulled up around her.

"Want me to come?"

He smirked at her "No offense doll, but I don't think you could keep up"

Tilly's mouth dropped. "Oh, that's what you think?"

He rolled his eyes "That's what I know"

"Ok then" she hopped off the bed and walked up to him. "Let's make a bet. Laps around the track, first one to drop loses"

Bucky smiled at her "What's the bet?"

"If I win, you take me out to dinner"

He nodded, "And if I win?"

She sidled up to him, relishing the reaction from his body as her naked skin grazed his "If you win, we skip dinner"

"Deal" he practically growled, moving his hands to cup her face. Tilly danced out of the way "Nuh uh, none of that. Don't want you to waste your energy" she winked at him.

Bucky frowned "Fine. At the track in ten"

Tilly grinned as he strode out of the door.

000

Tilly entered to see Bucky part way through a thigh stretch. She was surprised to see Sam and Clint sitting in the grandstands.

"The hell are you guys doing here?" she asked, dropping her bottle to the side.

"No way am I gonna miss Barnes get his ass kicked" replied Sam

"We'll see" said Clint, a small glint in his eyes.

Tilly just rolled her eyes and made her way to the starting mark, not bothering to warm up or stretch. Bucky followed her, shaking out his ready limbs.

"Ready to lose?" Tilly teased, leaning forwards, ready to run.

"I don't lose" came the gruff reply, Tilly smiling wider.

"Go!" shouted a voice from the stands, and they were off. Bucky quickly overtook Tilly's languid pace and she let her eyes appreciatively rove over his muscled frame. _Sheesh I'm lucky_

The first thirty minutes passed without incidence, but Tilly could see Bucky was waiting for her to drop. He was in much better physical shape than her, and it wouldn't be long before her stamina ran out.

Or so he thought.

He watched with disbelief as the familiar green glow surrounded her, seeming to reinvigorate her. She gave him a gratuitous wink as Bucky realised he'd made a grave miscalculation. She was not as fit as him but if she could use her cells…_Fuck_

Tilly grinned at the whoops from the stands from Sam and Wanda, who had joined after hearing about the competition. Clint hung his head in his hands "I'm gonna lose so much money" he groaned.

To his credit, it was another hour before Bucky's pace started to slow. Tilly had maintained the same speed the entire time, and the light was concentrated around her calves as the muscles were healed from anaerobic respiration. She could see his breathing come more laboriously but his eyes held the same quiet determination.

By now Steve and Tony had joined the crowd, their little competition now a spectator sport. Steve had joined Clint to put money on Bucky, but whether that was a show of support or a good choice Tilly wasn't sure.

Another few laps and her pace now out sped the Winter Soldier's. His feet hit the ground with the weight of lead and his breathing came in slow rasps. She wanted to feel bad for him, but she really couldn't – he brought this upon himself.

Wanda and Sam's shouts grew louder as Bucky's pace slowed to a walk, arms hanging by his sides. Tilly ran slowly alongside him as he quietly collapsed to the floor, chest rising and falling heavily. A loud applause was heard from the stands as she bent down to his prone form.

"So where are you taking me?" she grinned at him as he just rolled his eyes.

000

Steve recommended a Mexican diner nearby and the couple took up his suggestions. They walked hand in hand to the restaurant, Tilly chatting animatedly and Bucky happy to listen.

Like a true gentleman, he pushed out a chair for her at a cosy table in the corner. He took the seat opposite and spent a moment admiring her, observing her long white hair cascading over her shoulders, sharp grey eyes smiling into his. Bucky sighed contentedly, engrossed in the moment.

He ordered food and she sipped on a glass of water as the conversation flowed between them. All kinds of topics and subjects were discussed that evening, each one merging easily into the next. Bucky marvelled at how comfortable her presence was, how normal it felt.

"Sorry I beat you today" Tilly mumbled as the waiter took away the empty plates.

Bucky placed his hand on the table, palm up. He smiled as she placed her soft fingers on top of his.

"Didn't realise you could cheat" he grinned

She opened her mouth "I didn't cheat!" she replied indignantly.

"Yeah, you did" he responded

"Pssh, whatever" she rolled her eyes at him.

He swallowed hard, a question on his lips "How do you do it Tilly?"

She looked at him, eyes filling with understanding "I don't know" she answered honestly.

"I just let myself…be, y'know? I don't put up the walls"

Bucky continued to look at her "You're not scared?"

She barked out a laugh "Of course I'm scared! What if they hurt me, or hate me? But we can only be brave if we're scared" she explained "Bravery without fear isn't bravery at all"

He nodded slowly, trying to understand.

"They hurt us Buck" she continued, meaning filling her face "but not everyone will"

Bucky stared at her; how could she still have faith?

Tilly gripped his hand tightly "So Steve and Sharon huh?"

Bucky chuckled, happy at the change in tone "Seems like it. She's Peggy's niece"

Tilly's mouth formed an o. "Oh wow"

"Yup"

"At least they're happy" she withdrew her hand to take a sip from her glass

Bucky nodded. They all had to learn to adapt to the new age they found themselves in, some better than others.

"C'mon doll, lets get out of here"


	18. Chapter 18

**a/n: based on k19 to some extent**

Generator Chapter 18

She and him waltzed through the streets and back to the tower, stealing kisses at each dimly lit street corner. Searching hands gripped the other's body greedily, neither able to capture enough of the other.

Soon they were back at the compound, hands clasped together and excitement in their eyes. Bucky led her to the elevator and punched in the floor as the door closed.

Rough hands grabbed her face and Tilly hungrily captured his lips, tongue sliding forcefully into his mouth. She lifted her slim legs around his body, skirt riding up to her thighs and crossing her ankles behind him. Their shared moans filled the small space and his metallic arm wrapped so hard around her waist it would leave bruises. In that moment she was convinced she needed him more than oxygen, desperately pressing her hands into his strong chest. The air between them was electric, both needing the other for equally the physical and emotional connection they shared.

It was too short a time and the chrome doors were sliding open. They unwillingly untangled themselves, Tilly dropping delicately to the floor only to face an extremely awkward Steve Rodgers.

She blushed red and Bucky instinctively grabbed her hand.

The captain cleared his throat "Um, we need you in the war room"

"I'll be right there" answered Bucky, head down.

The other man shook his head "No, we need Tilly"

She nodded, surprised "Ok, I'll come now"

Steve nodded stiffly before turning on his tail, disappearing down the hall.

"I can't believe I have to work" she pouted as Bucky squeezed her hand. He lent down so his lips brushed her ear and she shivered.

"Find me after your brief" he whispered, and she sighed at the promise in his words.

Bucky left her to go to his room and Tilly walked in the direction Steve had gone in. _This had better be damn important to make me miss out on a horny Bucky_

She entered the conference room to see Steve, Tony and Nat. _Light crew_

"What's the disaster today?" she asked, flopping into the nearest roller chair. Nat gave her a smirk.

Tilly still wasn't sure about the other woman, but Bucky and Steve trusted her, and that was good enough for her. In a world of aliens and monsters, sometimes you needed an old-fashioned spy.

"Russia has a nuclear submarine in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Greenland" Steve explained as a map flickered on behind him. "The reactor's coolant is leaking and there's a good chance it will go into meltdown" he frowned.

Tilly nodded "Ok makes sense. But why are we helping the Russians?" she asked

"Technically we're not aligned to any country" said Tony

"Yeah but…" she gestured to the suited-up Steve "this guy's name is Captain America"

Nat chuckled.

"If something happens to this submarine, it doesn't matter whose side were on" said Steve seriously. "There's a time and a place for politics, this isn't it"

Tilly shut up, well and truly put in her place.

"You up for this Nuka?" asked Tony, arms folded.

She shrugged "Why not, I hear it's lovely this time of year"

000

Bucky was lounging on his bed when Tilly burst through the door. He raised an eyebrow.

"It's time sensitive so I don't have long, but I'm going to a submarine in Greenland" Tilly announced, rushing to the bed and leaping on top of him. She pressed a soft kiss to her lips but didn't linger. Bucky could see wild excitement in her eyes.

"I won't be long, and I'll see you when I get back"

Bucky nodded, hand cradling her head "Alright babe, be safe"

"Always am" she winked. And with that, she was gone.

000

The submarine had breached the ice, a black pod stark against the alabaster ice sheet. The quinjet landed nearby and the trio of Tilly, Nat and the Captain walked briskly out. Their breathes misted in front of their faces, the cold prickling at Tilly's exposed skin.

"Feeling really underdressed" she muttered to no one in particular. Once again it was a bland combo of black jeans and a grey shirt. At Tony's insistence she also had a small backpack of spare clothes.

They approached the submarine and were greeted by various elderly naval officers. Nat translated for the other two, letting them know that the older man was Captain Polenin. His blue eyes were worried and surrounded by dark circles. Clearly this was a serious situation.

He led them inside the submarine and Tilly immediately felt the nausea of claustrophobia. The inside was pale metal walls surrounding them like a cage, the floor covered with rubber flooring. The air was too warm and heavy, feeling overly lived in and oppressive. They followed the Captain through the halls, Steve's massive frame barely fitting through the small portals. Soldiers in striped leisurewear stood at attention as the Captain passed, many of them giving awed expressions to the star-spangled man. Tilly didn't miss the gentle nod and smiles he gave each of the recruits, no doubt they felt a huge relief at their presence.

Stopping at a door, Captain Polenin turned to the three of them with a haggard expression. He began speaking and Tilly waited for Nat's translation.

"He's saying it's radioactive passed this door" she explained as he continued "and that we should only continue with suits"

Steve frowned "Isn't there dorms back there?"

Nat asked something in Russian and the Captain looked sullen.

"Yes, but the contamination has spread" she translated.

_Not good_

"I'll go in now" Tilly announced, stepping towards the door. The Captain put out an arm to stop her, fear on his face. Nat spoke quickly beside him and the man's eyes widened as he withdrew his arm.

Tilly nodded at him before taking a deep breath and facing the door. Once again, she was helping out. Once again, she was risking herself for other people's problems. She couldn't help but notice a pattern forming.

Giving a last look at Steve, and appreciating the supportive nod and smile, Tilly opened the door to the unknown.

She stepped through the circular door and locked it behind her. The room ahead was long and skinny, with each side lined with wooden bunks. All were empty but as she walked down the corridor between them, she heard wracking coughs from the furthest one.

The sight she came upon shocked her.

A man was lying on the cot, but he was not instantly recognisable as a man. He was wrapped in bleached bandages from the neck down, with only his hands and face exposed to the air. The skin that was visible was sickening. Bright red sores were present where the top layers had split, and his whole body covered in sheen of sweat. Dried, pale vomit clung to his cracked lips and bloodshot eyes looked up at her in confusion. Each breath he took caused his whole body to quake and the stench coming from him smelt of death. If Tilly had had anything in her stomach, it would have come up. She could see he was in immense pain, and more importantly, he had been into the reactor. He was going to die, soon.

Tilly crouched next to him and lightly cupped his face. The radiation emanating from him activated her cells, but she didn't care. She knew it was the last physical contact he would have in his life.

His eyes stayed wide and worried as she rose from him and walked towards the door that housed the generator. She could hear him rasp out a warning and she tried to placate him.

"It's ok, it's ok" she smiled. Tilly could see he wasn't convinced but was too weak to really argue. She opened the door and crawled into the reactor.

The room was bathed in an alien blue light, the heat nearly unbearable. A layer of water sloshed on the floor, dumped in a desperate attempt to cool the rods. A soft emerald glow let her know that it was radioactive and booting up her lower legs and feet.

A harsh hissing sound was heard around the corner and Tilly followed the sound. Turning the corner, she was greeted with the sight of the four steel tubes that housed the rods and coolant. One of the metallic bends in the tubes was covered with clear coolant, a small hole in the steel allowing the pressurised liquid out. The stream joined the water on the floor. All of this made sense, and she was already thinking of ways to remedy it, but what shocked her most was that she was not alone.

A person was hunched over the leak with a blowtorch, a metal visor flicked over his face and an overly large grey suit covering his frame. But she could not feel any lead on him, so his suit was not protecting him from the huge amounts of radiation. Very soon he would end up like the man outside.

"Get out!" she yelled at him, and the person looked up at her. His eyes widened with surprise and he seemed to be telling her to leave. Tilly yanked the blowtorch out of his hand, placing it on a ledge so it wouldn't be made useless by the sloshing water. She tugged on the persons arm, pulling them towards the door. They resisted, desperately trying to stay near the reactor. Tilly was persistent, and the radiation had already made the other person weak. She pulled him towards the door, towards the corridor and beds.

After a small tussle with the unruly person, she dumped him roughly on the nearest cot.

"Stay!" she said authoritatively, and he seemed to get the message, remaining prone on the cot.

She turned back to the blue room and pulled the door closed behind her. The room was getting noticeably warmer and she quickly grabbed the blowtorch from the ledge. Tilly crouched in front of the leak and brought the impossibly white flame up to begin the mend. She would have to heal her eyes later, already beginning to burn without a protective mask. Small welts danced on her nose and cheeks as sparks flew unbidden into her face.

A minute later and the leak stopped, the heat in the room dropping almost instantly. Tilly was now drenched in sweat, her face nearly unrecognisable so filled with red blisters. She could barely see; the light had nearly blinded her.

She stumbled out of reactor and back into the dorm room. The person she had pulled from the reactor was lying uncomfortably still, heavy mask still on his face. Tilly crouched by him and slowly removed the welding gear.

She couldn't hold back the gasp when she saw his face. Originally, she though he had not been in as long as the other man, but that was wrong. His eyes were sunk deep into his face, red and bloodshot. Pus dripped from the multitude of wounds on his face, painful welts on all the exposed skin. Tilly cradled his head in her arms, ignoring the wetness on her face.

"It's ok, you're ok" she whispered, one hand stroking the clipped hair on his head tenderly. His breaths were coming slower, more ragged. Fear danced in his eyes.

She pointed at her chest with her free hand, "Tilly"

"Vadim" the man replied hoarsely, pain clear in his expression.

"It's going to be ok, Vadim" Tilly whispered, face close to his "I promise, it's going to be ok"

He tried to nod, but the effort was too much. His lips parted slightly, as if to say more.

But he breathed once.

He did not breathe again.

Tilly held his body tightly against hers "Vadim? Vadim?" she demanded, gently shaking his immobile form.

"Vadim, please!" she cried, burying her face in his neck. "Please"

She knew he was gone, but how could something so unfair be true?

Tilly didn't hold back the tears that drenched his shirt.

000

Steve was becoming increasingly nervous. Tilly had been in there a while and the analogue gauge next to him indicated that the coolant wasn't fixed yet. The needle was dangerously close to the red, which Captain Polenin had only offered as "Not good". He was psyching himself to follow her when the indicator moved, away from the red.

The reactor was cooling down.

The captain saw it too and yelled out the news to his crew. There were whoops and cheers heard throughout the submarine, many of the men embracing in relief. The atmosphere changed instantly to one of raucous joy and even Nat cracked a smile.

"That's our girl" whispered Steve. He had been grateful for Tilly's presence since she arrived and had been positively ecstatic when Bucky had joined them for dinner. If she made Buck happy, she was ok in his book.

There were still a lot of unknowns about her, however. Nat had continued to dig through the HYDRA dump after she had arrived, but information was scarce. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but rather that it was hard to trust anyone these days. After most of SHIELD had been revealed to be HYDRA all along, Steve had become more selective with his teammates.

"Don't touch her when she comes out" Natasha said quietly next to him. His face must've showed confusion because she followed up with "she'll still be radioactive, that's what happened in Arizona anyway"

He nodded his understanding, waiting for their saviour to emerge from behind the heavy iron door.

Steve was rewarded a moment later by a high-pitched screech of metal as the portal was pushed slowly open and Tilly fell inelegantly onto the floor. Some of the sailors made to help her but Nat quickly yelled at them in Russian and they stayed their distance. The captain closed the door behind her, careful not to touch her prone body.

"Tilly? Are you ok?" asked Steve, kneeling down to her. Tilly's stark white hair was dripping wet, and he could see the sweat clinging to her bare arms. Her entire body was lit by a soft lime glow.

After a moment, she raised her head and Steve clenched his jaw as some of the sailors gasped.

Her eyes were disturbingly bloodshot, the whites now a sickly red. Tiny crimson cuts filled her face, the rest filled with painful welts. Worst of all was her expression, barely apparent under her wounds, but Steve could see a deep sadness. She awkwardly pushed herself up onto her arms, slowly standing up fully.

"Don't touch me" she rasped, and Steve nodded.

"We told them not to" he agreed

She nodded slightly "I'm mostly blind at the moment, am I pointing the right way?" she asked, careful to keep her hands by her sides.

"A little to the left, but yes. Nat, go first and let the men know to not touch her"

The spy nodded and walked slowly though the iron hallway, checking over her shoulder that Tilly was following. Steve took up the rear, keeping Tilly from the now crowd of sailors and their captain.

They made a slow procession through the submarine before finally reaching the ladder out to the open. Natasha placed rags where Tilly would climb up, as not to irradiate the steps.

Tilly breathed deeply when outside, away from the oppressive weight of the submarine. The cold air had never felt so good.

Natasha's voice led her towards the jet. Before they left, Captain Polenin reiterated his thanks via translation. Tilly nodded stiffly and could just make out the blurry mass of the soldiers behind him. Even though they were helping, she knew better than to heal in front of the Russians. Steve accepted the praise with his usual discussion of duty and before long they were clambering into the jet.

Tilly stood in the centre, one hand holding a strap, so she remained upright. Nat flew from the console and Steve strapped himself in.

"Body scan" said Tilly quietly, most of her face and neck staying illuminated. Gripping the strap tightly for the inevitable pain, she murmured "Heal face and neck"

Tilly winced as the cuts healed over and the welts retreated into her skin. She wanted to scream, it felt like her face was on fire, making her clench her jaw painfully. But just as quickly as it started, it was over. She blinked her grey eyes, pleased at the restored vision.

"Welcome back" said Steve with a soft smile.

"Thank you" she replied, not in the mood for conversation.

He seemed to get the hint, and the flight home was mostly silent.

000

When they arrived back at base, Tilly excused herself almost immediately to have a shower and change her clothes. Once again, the radiation clung to her like a blanket and she needed to clean it off.

She showered in silence, a storm of emotions roiling inside her. Leaving the bathroom in a fresh towel, she mechanically dressed herself and left for Bucky's room.


	19. Chapter 19

Generator Chapter 19

Bucky had rose early to take advantage of the empty gym. He was part way through weights when the house AI announced the team's return. Lowering the dumbbells and wiping the exertion from his brow, he walked slowly back to his room. Tilly was already sat on the bed when he arrived, hands in her lap and pale eyes staring unfocussed at the wall.

"How'd it go?" he asked, eyeing her as she remained still and unseeing. She didn't respond to the question.

He gently shook her shoulder, lowering his face to hers "Tilly?"

She slowly turned towards him; eyes full of unshed tears. He clenched his jaw at the sadness present in them "What happened doll?" he whispered

She opened her mouth slowly before closing it again, dropping her head down. A moment passed, the worry in Bucky's stomach becoming more present.

"A man died in my arms today, Buck" she said simply.

He instantly wrapped her in his arms and she gratefully leaned into his strong frame. She sniffed quietly and he could feel the tears on his shirt. His metal hand rose to stroke her crown gently.

"Shhh, shhh" he hummed at her, letting the sobs that wracked her body flow through her.

He didn't know how long he held her there, letting her volatile emotions spill onto him.

After some time, she raised her wet face up, pale eyes connecting with his. She sighed deeply before continuing.

"The reactor wasn't getting enough coolant; it was heating up too fast…" she swallowed hard.

"I went to fix it, but he was already there, already trying and…" Tilly shook her head roughly "If we'd been there faster, maybe he wouldn't have gone in there, maybe he'd still be alive"

Bucky gripped her tightly before leaning back to face her. She tried to avert her eyes, but he gently tugged her chin towards him.

"Tilly, we do as much as we can, ok?" he said seriously. She nodded but he knew she didn't believe him.

"You can't dwell on what could've been"

She sighed deeply "I know"

He embraced her again, glad that she had calmed enough to stop crying.

"C'mon, let's get a coffee"

They went off campus to the nearby town. Tilly held his hand the whole way but was uncharacteristically quiet, only answering questions when asked. Bucky didn't push the issue – she would mourn at her own pace. They eventually arrived at the small French café and he ordered a black coffee. The couple sat at the wrought iron chairs, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Finally, Tilly's phone buzzed in her pocket. She lifted it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"How's it going Nuka?"

"Oh, hey Tony" Bucky raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged

"How can I help?"

She could vaguely hear things clattering in the background

"Come to the labs, I need your help with something-fuck!" The call dropped with a string of profanities. Tilly shoved the phone back into her pocket and rose from the tiny table.

"Stark wants help in the labs" she explained as Bucky followed her out of the door.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Now I mean?" he asked quietly beside her.

Tilly nodded, eyes still forward. "Yeah. I need a distraction"

She was surprised when Bucky tugged on her arm, turning to face each other.

"I'm here for you, you know" he said, metal hand cupping her cheek.

Tilly smiled at him. She was so used to coping with her pain alone, it was nice to know there was another option. "I know babe"

He smiled sadly at her.

Tilly wasn't exactly new to death. There was a reason she had been experiment number 64, and it wasn't because all other 63 before her had left to go on a picnic together. But to see an innocent person to die and die because of the same power that coursed through her veins, was affecting her more deeply. She didn't know why she had been created – to power the world, or destroy it?

They walked back to the compound in silence.

000

Three floors of the new compound were dedicated to Stark R&D. Which in real terms, meant a giant playroom for its owner.

Tilly stepped out of the elevator, still deep in thought, and tripped on a rouge ball bearing. Landing flat on her backside, she gasped at the scene in front of her.

"What the….?"

There were several iron man suits laying haphazardly around the room, all with different advantages and modifications. The edges and centre of the room had sturdy steel tables bolted into position, and most held a substantial amount of clutter. A large array of machines were scattered around, some made of white plastic and others created from metallic materials. Tilly didn't know what any of them did, apart from what was apparently a smithing furnace in the back corner. It was not all of this mess, or the surprise of the fall that made Tilly gasp however.

Instead, it was the massive blue doughnut in the centre of the room which emitted a humming noise, strange white flares whizzing around it. It had thick cables snaking to small cubed frame, only the size of a fist. Behind it, a path of sorts had been cleared of junk. Tony had his back to her but turned when he heard the gasp. She was surprised at how tired he looked, eyes set deep and wild.

"Ah good, you're here" he said, leaning down to offer her a hand. She took it gratefully.

"I'm here" she confirmed "Why am I here?"

Tony curled his finger and she followed him to the square frame. "I think I'm close to replicating the tesseract" he whispered.

She stared blankly at him "What do you mean? Like the power?"

He shook his head, "No, the teleportation"

Tilly raised her eyebrows "Wow" she said softly

Tony nodded excitedly, gesturing to the frame. Tilly could see a cube of metal, although she didn't know what kind.

"Problem is that I can't funnel enough power in" he explained "It won't activate"

Tilly nodded "You want me to give it a kick"

"That's right" he said and began unhooking cables from the arc reactor and handing them to her. She ended up with four cables in her arms, surprisingly heavy at that.

"Alright…" she gripped two cables in each hand "how much do you want?"

Tony practically squealed before rushing over to a console. "I'll check the readings from here but put 50 megawatts in first"

Tilly activated the cells. It was only a green speck on her palm, the size of a needle prick. The cube did not react.

"More?" she asked

Tony nodded "Make it 200"

The green light grew. The cube did not react.

She looked to him.

"Fuck it, 1000" he said.

The light grew to the size of a small eraser. The cube started to shake, and the console began beeping. Tony's eyes widened.

"2000"

Tilly frowned "Are you sure?"

He just nodded.

Steeling herself, Tilly upped the cell activation.

A few things happened at the same time.

Firstly, the cube shook to the point that it was a single wobbling mass. A split second later and Tilly felt an immense force from it, as if it was rejecting the power she provided. There was a bright flash and a wave of pressure cascaded over her as she was forced onto the floor. Stars danced in her eyes as she blacked out.

When Tilly opened her eyes, Tony was frantically shaking her, hands on her shoulders.

"Tilly? Are you ok?"

She waved him off and slowly sat up "Yeah I'm fine, just a bit shaken" as she said it though, she felt a sharp pain under her right breast. Slim fingers felt the pain and she noticed an irregularity.

"I think I broke a rib" she confessed, and his face drained of colour. "I'll call the Medbay" he assured her, and she just nodded.

He ran off to his Stark phone and Tilly slowly got up. The pain wasn't too bad, but healing bone was extremely painful. She had suffered from growing pains when she was younger, the dull ache that adolescents have as they go through a growth spurt. It was the same pain to heal a bone, but in a more condensed period of time. She shivered at the thought.

"Ok they're sending a stretcher down" he exclaimed, and Tilly looked mortified.

"Uh uh, no way, we'll walk up" she commanded

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, now distract me and tell me what the hell just happened" she walked towards the door, still hunched over.

Tony nodded and pressed a few keys on the phone to cancel the triage. He put a comforting hand on her back and began his theories.

"You're not glowing, so we know the cube at least transformed the energy" they arrived at the elevator and he told FRIDAY the med bay. It was only one floor up, no doubt a purposeful design by Pepper.

Tilly nodded "It felt like it was aimed at me though, like I had angered it"

Tony agreed with her "Means that it's reactive, at the very least, but I'll have to change some parameters…"

She let him mutter on. The thoughts of the submarine were effectively banished from her mind and she was grateful, although she could do without broken bones.

They arrived at the correct floor with a soft ding and hobbled to the Medbay. Dr Cho advised an X-Ray and Tony helped her to radiation a few doors down.

She lay on the lead table when he tapped her on the shoulder. He was looking way too pleased with himself and Tilly narrowed her eyes.

"Want me to tell anyone you're here Nuka?" he said with a glint in his eyes

"Nah I'll be alright" she replied, settling for the X-Ray

"Not even Barnes?" he smirked at her.

She opened her mouth to deny it before rolling her eyes. "Rodgers?"

Tony nodded, smiling wider "That guy can't keep his mouth shut. Half the tower knows"

Tilly groaned but winced at the pain. In all honesty, she didn't mind people knowing. It was more that Bucky would be resistant, and he really didn't need to deal with anything else now.

"Actually, I'm supposed to see Wanda for training in ten, can you tell her I'll be late?"

Tony raised his eyebrow "You sure? Shouldn't you be on bed rest or something?"

She scoffed "You're one to talk"

He rolled his eyes at her and left the room. Tilly heard the light whirring of the machine start up, followed by a clunk as it took a picture. A moment later and a female radiographer in a white gown showed her the pictures, Tony following behind.

"Fourth ones broken on right side, oblique fracture. Third and fifth are bruised but will be ok"

Tilly nodded in understanding.

"We'll wrap it up, so it heals in the right place but that's about all. Should be all done in a few weeks"

"No worries" Tilly smiled at her and was led to a clean white room with a flat bed in the centre.

The nurse went to gather materials while Tony lingered.

"You can go back to the lab now Stark, I'll be fine"

He looked purposely at her "Can't you heal it?" he asked

Tilly sighed, wincing once again at the pain "I can but bone is more…uncomfortable" she explained, and he seemed to get the gist, nodding back at her.

"Sorry for breaking your rib" he said with a smirk and she waved him off.

"It's no worries. Now I can tell your desperate to get back, off you go"

He smiled wildly at her before quickly squeezing her shoulder "Thanks for all your help Nuka"

A moment later and he was gone. The female nurse returned.

"Top off, let's bandage you up"

000

An hour later and Tilly was walking into the training room. She had changed back into her gym clothes and was surprised to see Wanda wasn't here yet. Maybe Tony had cancelled on her.

She was about to check her messages when she felt a swift smack on her backside. She huffed and turned around to see Bucky nonchalantly walk past her. Tilly was about to exact revenge on his ass when he whipped around, gripping her wrist and pulling her into a kiss.

Tilly sighed and melted into his touch, savouring the sweetness of his breath, the strength of his waist. Her hands instinctively tangled themselves in his loose hair and she was lost in the moment. Bucky's metal arm curled around her waist and she yelped and jumped back. His face was surprised but she quickly lifted her shirt, showing the bandage.

"Broke a rib" she frowned

He crouched down to examine it, noting the dark purple bruises that had blossomed along her right side, painfully obvious on her alabaster skin. He raised his eyes to hers, anger present in them.

"Stark?" it was a dangerous question.

Tilly shook her head quickly, "One of the experiments went awry, I'm fine"

He frowned at her, creases forming on his perfect forehead.

She smiled back at him "Really, I am"

He didn't respond, instead placing a chaste kiss below the bruising. Tilly shivered at the soft touch.

"So why are you here and not in bed" he asked, rising to his feet.

"I've got training with Wanda" she scanned the empty room "but apparently I've been stood up"

He nodded "You have, she's leaving on a mission soon"

"Oh" Tilly shrugged. "How do you know that?"

"Cause I'm on the same one" he replied "We leave in two hours"

Tilly nodded slowly "How long?" she asked quietly

"Three days max, hopefully less" he responded, noting the way her head dipped.

"Hmmm" she replied, delicately wrapping her hands behind his neck to look at him.

"I'll miss you" she whispered, and he gently clasped his hands at the small of her back.

"I'll miss you too" he replied, capturing her lips in a kiss.

Bucky was surprised at the honesty in his voice. He _would_ miss her, a feeling that was foreign to him. They had become very close recently and she was becoming a vital piece of him. All of his training told him it was a weakness, that he should end this now and push her away. But the though of that made bile rise in his throat. This woman was teaching him new things about the world and even himself, and how could that be a weakness?

They went back to his room and she rode him to orgasm, strong hands held over her hips but careful not to touch the bandages. If anyone but Stark had caused the bruises he would've retaliated, but as it was their relationship was tenuous at best. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to live.

They lay together for another hour before it was time for him to leave. He immediately missed her warmth as he rose from the bed to dress for the mission. She watched him, grey eyes wide and unreadable.

"Be safe" she said, and he nodded into her palm. For once, he had someone to stay safe for.


	20. Chapter 20

Generator Chapter 20

The next two days seemed to crawl by. Tony didn't ask for any more help and Wanda was out on the mission with Bucky. Nat, Steve and Clint had gone with them, and Tilly kept a news alert in case something major happened. But it didn't.

Natasha was the one heading the investigation into the Thai Yakuza, but she hadn't got very far. The organisation was notoriously shadowy and unwilling to give information to anyone without thorough background checks. The spy was slowly getting through their barriers, but it would be a long time before anything concrete was uncovered.

So Tilly meandered through the time aimlessly, reading books, watching movies and strength training. She still went to the dinners and found herself enjoying them more and more, especially her time with Sam. His cutting humour lifted her mood and she enjoyed that he didn't take himself as seriously as the rest of the team.

It was on the third day the FRIDAY advised her that she had been requested by Director Fury. Tilly was a strange mixture of confused and terrified. Without the buffer of Steve, she wasn't sure how she would cope under the director's scrutiny.

She fiddled with her sleeve as the elevator announced her arrival and she stepped into a bright room. The furniture was the same as the rest as the building, kept carefully neutral but stylish. Floor to ceiling windows took up two of the walls and a heavy desk was the centrepiece. A small sitting area was in one corner, three chairs surrounding a grey coffee table. The view was impressive, but Tilly knew it would be one way. No way the man who approached her would allow any views in.

Fury walked towards her, face serious and hand outstretched. She shook it, marvelling at the strength of his grip.

"Thank you for joining me" he gestured to the chairs "Please, take a seat"

"Thanks for having me" Tilly responded, sitting in the closest chair. She looked around nervously, unconsciously picking out the exits. HYDRA had built some habits that were hard to drop.

"Firstly, I want to thank you for what you have done so far. We appreciate it immensely" he smiled at her, and she was surprised at how genuine it was. His eyes remained unreadable.

Tilly blushed at the praise "It's ok, just doing what I can y'know" looking down at the floor.

The director nodded slowly. "And it is quite impressive what you can do…" he continued "there is something else we need help with, although there is less risk of life and limb" he gestured to the white bandage peeking past her collar.

She smiled at him "That'll be a nice change"

He chuckled, the sound seeming strange from such a formidable figure. "Yes, I can imagine"

Fury lent forward, hands clasped in front of him and elbows on knees. "I'm assuming that you are aware of the HYDRA dump that Ms Romanoff performed?" he said seriously, suddenly all joviality gone.

Tilly nodded. When SHIELD fell, the Black Widow had released all of the data onto the internet. She had already looked up herself, glad to see that they did not have her current whereabouts. They had a picture of her, and she had been tempted to dye her hair, but so far she had remained anonymous.

Apart from when Bain's lackeys had come for her, although she still blamed Tony for that.

"There is a lot of valuable information there, but most of it is encrypted or makes no sense. Such as when we found you and it claimed you were radioactive" he continued with a smile.

"So where do I come in?" Tilly asked, confused as to the point of the conversation.

"We'd like you, Sargent Barnes and Ms Maximoff to begin looking through the dump" eyes boring into hers "I believe with all three of you, we can make some sense of the data"

Tilly nodded slowly. It made sense. Bucky couldn't remember much, and Wanda had been limited to a small part of HYDRA. Tilly had been there nearly a decade and her memories were still intact, something the director was probably aware of. But there was still something nagging her.

"A lot of that data should probably stay hidden" she said softly, "why do you want it revealed?"

The director looked at her with steel in her eyes and she shivered.

"Ms Atherson, you will be aware more than most that the world is changing. We need to be prepared for any new challenges"

She didn't break eye contact. _So it's me_ she thought.

The director was scared. Scared because the more HYDRA experiments that came into the world, the more powerful they appeared to be. First was the Winter Soldier, a master assassin. Next was Scarlet Witch, capable of moving gigantic structures with her mind. And finally, Tilly. An unkillable, radioactive experiment with enough power to likely destroy the world. No doubt Fury had noticed a pattern and wanted to buck the trend. The next person to come from HYDRA might not be so willing to swap sides.

She wasn't exactly against searching the HYDRA files, but she knew there were some things she didn't want to see again. Not to mention Bucky would likely be forced to relive some of his worst memories, as well as Wanda. Tilly shivered at the thought of having to see her creation again, something that the director would likely be interested in.

On the other hand, a search through the files might provide some answers. She had seen most of the experiments that came before her but only knew the outcome of a few. Not to mention there may have been ones after her, and if they were out in the world, alone…

Tilly made a decision.

"Alright, I'll help"

000

The mission had been ridiculously easy, at least that was Bucky's opinion. The local police and military could've handled it, but apparently Tony owed every man and his dog a favour. There was only patchy cell service, making him miss Tilly all the more, and with the dullness of the task, his mind had far too much time to wander.

"Ready to get home?" asked Steve beside him.

Bucky nodded "Absolutely"

They sat in the back of the quinjet and had another few hours before they reached New York.

"I always miss Sharon on trips like this" the Captain said quietly so only Bucky could hear "wonder what she's up to"

Bucky absorbed the words. What was Tilly doing? Probably getting in trouble again. His mouth quirked at that. She seemed to attract disaster like a beacon, but she always came out on top. So far at least.

"She's probably working harder than we are" Bucky grumbled in response to the other man's question and was rewarded with a short laugh.

"I think you're right, when I left she was starting interviews for new recruits" Steve shook his head "slowly trying to rebuild"

Bucky stayed silent. SHIELD seemed to have come back so quickly, sometimes he wondered if anyone had asked whether it should. And importantly, if HYDRA's influence had actually been fully expelled as promised.

The rest of the trip back was comfortable, most of the team happy at the way the mission turned out. Despite how boring it was, Bucky was glad he had come along. It was taking a while, but he could see that the team was accepting him as a member. Friendships forged in battle were the strongest ones he knew.

They arrived back at the base in late afternoon. Clint promised to have dinner ready in two hours and Bucky smiled. He was definitely one of the better cooks in rotation. He didn't have anything against Steve's cooking, but did he have to boil everything?

Bucky arrived back at his apartment and started unloading his duffel bag. He carefully began unloading his guns and clips when the house AI alerted him that Tilly would like to visit. He agreed and continued his unpacking.

Tilly had considered waiting for Bucky in his room but decided against it. He was his own person and may want space after a mission, the last thing she wanted to do was pressure him. That being said, she was happy to hear that he wanted to see her. She'd missed him a lot and her meeting with Fury that morning had left her rattled.

She entered his apartment to hear the shower going in the bathroom. Stripping off her grey sweater and dark jeans she walked into the billowing steam. Taking just a moment, Tilly admired the way the water slid off his tanned skin. Defined muscles rippled along his tall frame and she bit her lip. _Damn I'm lucky_

She knocked on the misted glass and he turned around, water dripping off his hair not unlike a shaking dog. Bucky's face creased into a smile and he opened the door for her. Tilly stepped into the small space and shivered as she became accustomed to the warm water.

"Hey" she said, pressing her now-damp body onto his. She'd unwrapped the gauze and the bruises on her ribs were now a dull green. He ran his hands down her sides, pleased at the soft hum she made.

"Hey" he responded, and their damp lips met. The warmth of the water and the heat of Bucky made Tilly sigh, a familiar tension starting in her belly. His flesh hand came up to cup her breast, thumbing sliding along the tense nub. She gasped and fluttered her hand down to his already erect member, gently pulsing her hand up and down the soft skin. He groaned loudly into her mouth and she smiled. Tilly loved knowing the effect she had on him.

She broke the kiss to pepper her lips down his neck, chest, torso before arriving at his pelvis. She looked up at him, smiling at the lust in his eyes and the water flowing over his delicious body. Tilly opened her mouth and gently took him between her lips, continuing until the full length was inside her.

Bucky groaned loudly and lolled his head back, metal arms bracing himself against the wall while the other held the back of Tilly's head. She slowly, torturously, dragged her lips up and down him, tongue licking the underside of his member. The warmth of the water was nothing compared to the heat of her mouth and he closed his eyes, relishing the moment. She continued her ministrations, her head bobbing slowly along him until he felt a familiar energy building.

"I'm going to- ah- "as he said it, she sped up and he spasmed as the orgasm rushed through him. Hot liquid filled her mouth and he looked down to see her swallow it. She stood up to face him, giant smile on her face.

"Holy fuck" he managed before his lips crushed hers and he could taste the remnants of him.

"My turn" he promised with a smile.

000

Two hours later and the couple made their way to the kitchen, hands held together. His reticence for people to know was now replaced by a strong desire to show that she was his, that she was taken. Not that anyone would dare, despite his growing closeness he made sure to keep an air of foreboding.

They arrived at the kitchen and flopped on to the couch shared by Steve and Sharon. Usually, dinner was reserved for team members only, but exceptions could be made after multi day missions.

Tilly reached a hand out to the blonde "Hi I'm Tilly"

Sharon nodded "I'm Sharon, nice to meet you"

Tilly beamed "You as well!"

The blonde nodded shyly, and Steve squeezed the arm that snaked around her waist.

Tilly was only moderately surprised at how few people even noticed her entrance with Barnes. Clearly Steve had passed on the recent news to anyone and everyone.

Wanda spotted her from across the room and bounded over. Tilly stood so she could give the woman a hug, wincing as the Sokovian gripped her tight.

"How was the mission?" asked Tilly

Wanda shrugged "Pretty dull honestly. Glad to be back"

Tilly nodded "Want to train some more tomorrow?"

Wanda shook her head "I'd love to, but Fury said he wanted me for something…"

Tilly remembered that she'd agreed to the file search "Oh yeah, I'll be there too" She twisted to face Bucky "He wants you too"

The man nodded "Yeah, I got a meeting invite for tomorrow morning"

She turned back to Wanda "He wants us to look at the HYDRA files"

Wanda frowned "I'm not sure I know much useful info though…"

Tilly shrugged "We don't know what is and isn't useful"

"I guess" the other woman agreed, and the conversation was interrupted by Clint announcing dinner.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly, the team admonishing the boring task they'd been given. Tony tried to explain that he owed a favour to the Sheikh or some such, although for what he wouldn't say. Most likely the plush Persian carpets in his private quarters.

Tilly laid her head on Bucky's shoulder, a calm contentedness washing over her. She felt guilty in a way, guilty that all this perfection surrounded her. Guilty that she had achieved a life that most others only dreamed of. It was hard to convince herself that she deserved it, that she didn't need to shy away.

Bucky was quiet, listening to the conversations around him. After a few hours, each person or couple retired to their bedrooms. Tilly shook Sharon's hand again as Steve led her away, glad that she had had a conversation with the other woman. While she seemed demure, Tilly could tell she held fast to her morals.

Bucky led them back to his room and Tilly was happy to follow. She hadn't been able to decorate her room much yet, it still looking overly bare and unlived in.

"You tired?" she asked as a massive yawn overtook his face. He nodded.

"Yeah. You don't have to stay" he said "You know, if it's boring"

Tilly shook her head as he opened the door to the apartment "It's not boring, it's very calming actually" she said as she stripped down to her panties and clambered into the warm bed.

Bucky shrugged and undressed "If you say so"

He lay down next to her and she nuzzled into his side. "Good to have you back, Barnes" she murmured.

"Good to be back" he responded, and it wasn't long before the soft blanket of sleep enveloped him.

000

_The man was hunched forward on the chair in front of him, blood running down his chest. _

"_Please…no more…" he begged, eyes rising up, tears streaming down his face. _

_The Winter Soldier ignored him and asked again "Where are the codes"_

_The man snivelled "I don't- "he wasn't allowed to finish before a metallic arm collided with his stomach and a pained scream escaped him. _

"_I won't ask again"_

_The man said nothing, and the soldier shot him in the face. _

Bucky lurched forward, a scream dying on his lips. Perspiration drenched his bare chest and he gripped the sheets so tightly his knuckles turned white. He was vaguely aware of soft hands gently holding his shoulder and scared whispers next to him.

"Bucky, it's ok, it's ok, it's just me…"

He turned to the sound, eyes connecting with frightened grey ones. Her hair was unkempt, and her mouth didn't stop her whispers, afraid he was still in a trance.

"It's ok, you're safe, it's ok" she repeated and was surprised when his head fell into her should and his arms wrapped around her. He wasn't crying, but his body still shook as if sobbing.

Tilly stroked his head "It's ok, it's ok" she continued, the words becoming a kind of chant and he focused on them, allowing them to ground him.

After a time, Bucky's breathing slowed, and the sobbing stopped. Tilly continued to hold him, gently rocking them back and forth. He took a large breath and leant back from her before lying back down on the bed. She followed him, head lying on his flesh shoulder.

Tilly watched as Bucky stared at the ceiling. She had been comfortably mulling over life in general when he had began thrashing wildly, screaming strange words not in English. She knew better than to try to restrain him, so she had watched helplessly as he endured an awful nightmare. It pained her to see him like this and she wished she could help, although she knew if she could sleep, she would be just like him. When he had finally opened his eyes and sobbed into her shoulder, Tilly could feel the exact moment when her heart broke.

"Sorry" he said gruffly, throat still raw from the screams "I didn't mean to scare you"

"You didn't" she lied, eyes meeting his "and don't apologise, you did nothing wrong"

He continued to stare at her, and she placed a kiss on his forehead. "You're ok" she repeated, and she felt his body relax into the mattress.

"Do you think you can sleep?" she asked, and he nodded minutely.

"Good" she replied, snuggling into the crook of his arm. "Sleep well Barnes"

She was rewarded a few minutes later by the sounds of his snores.


	21. Chapter 21

Generator Chapter 21

Wanda, Tilly and Bucky sat in one of the conference rooms off the same hallway of the war room. Bucky's hand held Tilly's under the table and she traced small circles with her thumb. They both knew that while this task wasn't physically dangerous, there was no telling what emotions would be revealed.

Wanda grinned at them from across the table and Tilly blushed. Steve had already told the Sokovian about their relationship, and Tilly knew after this she was going to have to endure questions about it.

A moment later and the door opened, Director Fury and Tony walking though the entrance. Tony spotted the clasped hands and gave Tilly a wink, making her blush even darker. Bucky just rolled his eyes at him.

Fury stood in front of the large screen. "Thank you all for coming" he said, looking at the group. Tilly straightened up, feeling very much like a child at assembly.

The director nodded at Tony and the other man produced a laptop.

"I'll give it to you because you're the only one here who actually knows how to use it" he said, sliding the computer in front of Tilly as Wanda rolled her eyes. She nodded as he squatted next to her.

"Ok so here's your login…" she untangled her hand from Bucky and began typing, Tony helping her find the file dump and mirror the screen to the monitor behind Fury. Happy with the outcome, Tony stood up and excused himself.

Fury watched him go before turning back to the group and examining his watch. "It's 9am now, search the files until noon. Be thorough, any information could be important" he commanded. Tilly and Wanda nodded; Bucky simply looked at him.

The director examined each of them before leaving also, apparently content with the assessment.

"I guess we get started…." said Tilly and brought up the first file on the large screen.

000

By the time midday rolled around, Wanda had placed her head on folded arms and Bucky looked half asleep. They had found nothing interesting, mostly what looked like user manuals in Russian. Thankfully, Bucky could translate for the two women so they could share in the boredom. At least an hour was spent reading on how to start a washing machine.

"Ok let's go" Tilly announced as soon as the clock struck 12 "this is painful"

"You're telling me" mumbled Bucky, slowly rising from his seat. She logged off and shut the laptop, taking his hand as he helped her up.

"Lunchtime!" announced Wanda with a smile, and they travelled to the kitchen. Halfway there, they got an invite for a meeting from 9am to midday tomorrow. Same place. Same event.

Bucky groaned beside her "How long do we have to do this?"

Tilly shrugged "Until we find something useful, I guess?"

He groaned again.

Bucky and Wanda ate leftovers from the night before as Tilly drank slowly from her water bottle. The room was silent apart from her teammates hungrily consuming the food.

"So what now?" she asked as they finished, Wanda delicately placing her knife and fork on the plate.

"I need training" the Sokovian announced, a glint in her eyes.

Bucky chuckled and Tilly gave him a glare before looking at Wanda again.

"Ok, give me a chance to get changed and I'll meet you in the sparring room"

Wanda shook her head "How about you meet at my room instead, now?"

Tilly stared at her "I'm not sure how - "

"C'mon, let's go!" the other woman grabbed Tilly's wrist and practically dragged her towards her room. Bucky chuckled again and Tilly gave him a helpless look.

"Help me" she mouthed at him, but he shrugged at her before putting the plates away. She rolled her eyes and let Wanda tug her down the hallway.

000

A few hours later and Tilly had been allowed to leave Wanda's room. She had spent the afternoon describing her relationship with Bucky, how it started, what it was like, and everything in-between. Just as she though everything had been revealed, Wanda had another question. Her curiosity knew no bounds.

Tilly finally convinced the other woman to watch a movie with her and they shared a blanket and watched an action thriller. Despite the interrogation, Tilly smiled. It was adorable that Wanda cared about her like that and Tilly had never been the luckiest with friends. In her old life, her job meant that it was mostly solitary, and her secrets made it hard to truly connect with others. She enjoyed the other woman's presence and the friendship that was forming.

Tilly wandered towards her apartment. She mulled over what to do for the rest of the afternoon and elected to train her abilities in the gym. Quickly pulling on yoga pants and a tank top, she walked towards the lift.

Despite there being so many buff people in this building, the only other person in the gigantic gym was Steve. He gave her a smile as she entered but kept punching the boxing bag, clearly in the zone. Tilly nodded back and sat down gently on the sparring mats; legs crossed in front of her.

Sometimes Tilly lamented the fact that she would never be able to use all of her abilities. She didn't know how much damage she could make if she used the limit of her powers, but she often thought about it. Could she destroy a city? A country? The world?

This wasn't to suggest that she wanted to do such things, but the thoughts still came to her. She was unique, an oddity, and the curiosity to find out more often flitted across her mind. To have artificial limits placed on her was its own kind of prison.

As she sat down and closed her eyes, she slowly activated each cell before deactivating it again. For her it was a kind of meditation, to truly ground her to her body. The world around her was ignored, shut off, as she focused on her individual being.

Next, she opened her eyes and formed a green orb in front of her, about the size of a basketball. A green light the size of marble appeared on her chest, powering the energy ball in front of her. She manipulated the orb gently, viewing as the constant reactions inside created a small amount of heat and light.

These orbs were the ones that she made and placed in the boxes marked 'Generator'. They were entirely self-sufficient, and once they were drained of power, they became inert balls of iron. It was also these orbs which she used to create destructive shockwaves, as the internal reaction could be hastened to produce more damaging side effects.

It was only then that she noticed the dull thud of punches had stopped. She looked to the left to see Steve watching her, and she inclined her head to her left.

"You can sit if you want"

He nodded, transfixed by the ball of power.

The captain sat next to her; knees perpendicular to hers. His blue eyes reflected the green light, gaze enraptured.

Tilly swallowed hard "Thank you" she said.

Steve tore his eyes from the ball "For what?"

"For finding him, for looking after him" she fiddled with the edge of her top "I appreciate it"

The soldier nodded "He kind of found me" he chuckled "but he was different, still is different…" he trailed off. Tilly waited.

He let out his breath in a whoosh "He's better since you've been here. More himself" she nodded; she'd noticed it too.

Steve swallowed before continuing "What was he like…back then? At HYDRA?"

Tilly cocked her head, trying to think how best to answer him. "He was…stronger, but also more fragile y'know? Like he had these walls up but underneath…" she shook her head.

"I was the same the whole time we were there, they only added this" she gestured to the ball "towards the end. Before that it was just your garden variety torture" she grimaced, and Steve smiled kindly. Tilly let out a breath "But he was in and out of cryo, and they would wipe his mind after each mission. So, it wasn't like we had a continuous relationship really, it was almost new each time" she explained "But I think remembered me, in a strange sort of way. Not me exactly, but something" she finished. Steve nodded slowly, understanding in his eyes.

She smiled at him "Whenever he had the cell next door, we'd have our pain chats"

He raised an eyebrow at her "What's that?"

"Rate the pain from one to ten. Ten was a really bad day" she shrugged "Kind of a sick way to connect, but it worked"

Steve looked at her. "Did you have any tens?" he asked quietly.

Tilly couldn't supress the shudder that ran through her.

"Just one"

000

The next day came far too quickly and the trio were back in the conference room. This time it was translating lunch menus and dinner recipes. Wanda huffed loudly from across the table.

"This is sooooo boring" she lamented, and Tilly had to agree. Whatever Fury wanted from the files; they clearly weren't finding it.

"Just another hour" Tilly promised, face resting on her hand. Although she was bored out of her brain, Fury frightened her too much to stop working.

"Do we have to look at all this junk? Can't we at least look at something interesting?"

Tilly sighed "Yes, we have to look at all this junk"

Wanda pouted, sticking her lip out in annoyance.

Bucky's legs were laying across Tilly's thighs and she subconsciously traced circle on his calves. His arms were folded as he lent back in the chair, eyes hooded and chin low.

They were surprised at sudden chimes from the screen as a Skype call opened. It was Pepper.

"Hello everyone" she began "I know it's late notice, but we need you all to attend the Stark gala tonight. Our PR team suggest having the Avengers present will increase donations"

Tilly rolled her eyes. Why Tony had galas to raise money was beyond her and she suspected it was more so he could show off his wealth. And now them.

"Do I have to go?" asked Tilly "I'm not an Avenger"

Pepper looked at her through the screen "Yes, you do. Be ready by eight o clock in the main ballroom. Formal clothing has been provided for you all in your living areas" and with that, the transmission ended. Pepper could be formidable when she wanted to.

Bucky groaned next to her. He hated being paraded round like some kind of amusement. Not that anyone ever really wanted to talk to him anyone, they were more interested in Captain America. It wasn't like he could even get drunk to pass the time.

"Let's call that a day then" announced Tilly, giving Bucky a sympathetic look. It really was going to be a dull evening.

"I'll help you get ready!" offered Wanda.

Tilly shrugged "If you like. I'll come by yours at 7?"

Wanda nodded and practically ran out of the boardroom, no doubt excited for the evening. Tilly chuckled at her excitement; she was still naïve to the ways of politics.

They both rose and walked hand in hand to Bucky's room. Tilly stood at the threshold and he turned to face her.

"Can I come in?" she asked with a teasing grin.

He raised his eyebrows "Of course you can co—"

He didn't get to finish.

Her lips crashed into his and she pushed him unceremoniously on to the bed. Her greedy hands were already stripping off his casual tee before also taking hers off. His body responded instantly, hands running up and down her sides. She sighed at the sensation of hot and cold, metal and flesh.

"Fuck, I wanted you that whole time" she panted against his neck as she dotted kisses down his now bare torso, hands already unbuckling his pants. His cock sprang willingly from beneath the clothing and she wrapped her soft lips around it, tongue flicking at the sensitive head as she took him deep into her.

Bucky moaned loudly above her, the sound so delicious and absolutely filthy coming from his angelic lips. His hands tangled in her hair and she felt her panties dampen, continuing to bob her head along his thick length. He continued to moan and gasp above her and she sped up, sucking hard on his member to create a better experience.

"Fuck, doll, I'm –" his sentence was cut off by the abrupt warmth flooding into her mouth, a loud moan escaping his lips. She swallowed hard and crawled up his body to kiss him, letting him taste his own seed. His hand reached up to tug down her jeans and panties, flesh finger slowly circling her folds.

"Shit you are wet…" She groaned as he rubbed her sensitive nub, her back arching in pleasure and her hand gripping his shoulder hard enough to leave marks. He continued to stimulate her and pulled her lips down to his, locking her into her pleasure. She felt the familiar coil in her stomach, and she broke the kiss briefly to whisper to him.

"Bucky, please" He immediately sped up, pressing harder and faster. She cried out as her orgasm overtook her, body shaking with pleasure at his touch. His cock pressed against her pelvis, already ready for another round. She came down, and he gently rolled out from under her, positioning his hips behind her raised ass. In a fluid motion he entered her, hands gripping hard on her waist. She cried out as he thrusted deep into her, new feelings arsing at the change in the position. He moaned from behind her, clearly enjoying it as much as she was. He pulled out and re-entered her, setting a quick pace that made her cry out in pleasure and pain.

"Don't stop, don't stop…." she whispered. not sure if it was even for him to hear. And he didn't. She felt her climax building again and whined, desperate for release. His thrusts continued as a flesh hand snaked under her to rub against her nub. The overload of sensations had her climaxing around him, crying out as her walls tightened around him. With a grunt, he soon followed, warmth once again filling her.

He slowly exited her and she flopped onto the duvet. Bucky lay down next to her, metal arm pulling her hips flush against his. He sighed.

"That was unexpected"

Tilly chuckled "Sorry about that"

"Oh no, don't be sorry. I have no issue"


End file.
